Twelve

"Don't be home late tonight! And remember to pick up the cake!" Mom yelled from the kitchen. It was dad's birthday today. Given the travel schedule that the company provided for him, it has been a long time since we have celebrated it as a family.

"Got it!" After ensuring that my foot was tucked snuggly in my working shoes, I headed out, towards the bus stop.

It had been a restless night for me; my mind was clouded with Nathan as he came to my rescue. The way he held me as he defended and delivered me from the hands of Bella.

Feels like I'm in a soap opera.

Still, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement overtake; the jitters that spread from my stomach to the ends of my fingers. All these intensified as I thought about meeting him again. Nevertheless, I knew enough to know that I should not get my hopes up. Afterall, he is the CEO. He was a hard man to reach, and it would be weird to look for him without having any valid reasons.

"Morning, Ava."

"Hey Arthur. How's your back?"

Arthur was one of the company's security staff. It was my first day of work when I stumbled across him, crouching on the corner of the corridor, clutching his back. Turns out that he was having one of his usual back aches, typical for someone in his late sixties. Ever since I've given him a few pain relief patches, we've become acquaintances: friends through unlikely encounters.

"Thanks to your patches, the pain doesn't really bother me as much as before." The wrinkles and creases around his eyes and forehead deepened as his face lit up with joy.

"I'm afraid you would have to thank my mom for that. She's the one that forced me to have these patches stocked up in my bag."

"By the way, congratulations on your relationship with Mr. Crosby. I can see just how much he adores you from that night."

"That night?" His words baffled me, causing me to frown and pout at the same time.

"You didn't know? He was the one that covered you with his coat." His words triggered the memory of the night before I left to meet Alice. Speaking of which, the coat that hung on my chair was gone the next morning.

"Do you have the recording of that night?" I asked, wanting to know more about what happened.

"Sure! Follow me." I followed Arthur to the surveillance room, decorated with countless screens and devices. "Here it is." Arthur pointed, after pulling up a video on the computer. With my eyes fixated on the screen, I watched the scene unfold; the day that started off as a bleak and rainy day, blossomed into a warm and sunny one; at least that's what my heart felt at this instant.

When the video ended, I thanked Arthur and bade my farewell before directing myself to the office; aware of how crazy I looked as I beamed widely at every person I passed by. The stares from others made it so awkward for me that I had to cover the smile with a hand over my mouth.

"Someone's looking happy today." Derrick chimed, while Quinn wiggled her brows as I reached my desk.

"Don't tease her, babe! Though I'm pretty sure I know who made her morning beautiful."

"Pftt! Unlike you two lovebirds, I'm going on to the construction room." Gathering the files, I made my way to the other side, ready to start the day's work burning with delight.

Scurrying around the office just as a worker bee should, time went by in a blur as I ran between different locations, from the designing of various jewelleries to the sorting of customer's orders. Miraculously, I did not feel an ounce of fatigue. Probably because I knew that I had myself wrapped around Nathan's fingers.

"Come on, Av! It's time for lunch." Quinn called out, clinging tightly on her husband. Not wanting to be the culprit for shortening their lunch hours, I placed the finished folders into the archive section before grabbing my wallet.

"Oh! you know what? Never mind." Quinn giggled. "Let's go, babe. It seems that someone's got a lunch date."

"Huh?" I sounded out, as my hair was swept and stuck across my face from all the running and brisk walking. However, as soon as I caught sight of Timothy, my footsteps came to a halt.

"Hey Tim, what's up?" I breathed heavily, trying to control the pants.

"Follow me. There is someone Mr. Crosby would like you to meet.

"Okay!" I said, a little too excitedly as I thought of seeing Nathan again. "I-I mean okay..."

"Let's go then."

When we had reached lobby, Tim and I strolled out the building towards the pickup point, where two men were seen standing in front of a parked car. One being Nathan and the other...

"I believe I haven't formally introduced myself. My name is Hugo Montague." Gawking back at the man before me was one that was cleanly shaved and dressed in a casual tux; greeting me with a wide smile upon his face. Truly, if looks could kill, you would have seen bodies of women dropping on the streets.

"It's nice to meet you, Ava."

"I-It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Montague." The slight waver in my reply made me wish that the floor had swallowed me whole; still a little overwhelmed from the sudden change in his appearance.

"I know, I look really different from before." Hugo chuckled, scratching his head nervously. "But please, call me Hugo."

"I'm really grateful to the both of you," he said, looking over to Nathan, then back to me. "And I hope that you will allow me to express my gratitude by treating the both of you to lunch; especially you, Ava. If it weren't for you, I would still be lost and stuck in that room, downing who knows how many cans and bottles of liquor. So really, you have my deepest thanks. Thank you, Ava."

I was glued to the sincerity he held in his gaze, one that made me speechless.

"Ahem!" Nathan sounded, clearing his throat to break the atmosphere from the unintended silence, bringing both Hugo and I back to reality.

"At the same time, I would love to go over the details of the collaboration. Will that be okay?"

'Sure!" I exclaimed. Deep down, I was glad that Hugo was finally moving forward with his life. Though, I knew that it doesn't mean he had moved on from Blaire. Just like how I was with Nicholas.

"Well, let's move out then." Nathan declared, grabbing me by my arm. "You can ride shotgun, Hugo. Timothy may need directions to the place." Hugo simply nodded, giving Nathan a quick pat on the back before whispering a few words that were too soft for me to catch.

Their conversation ended with Hugo laughing by the side and Nathan holding an expression of one that resembles a kid caught red-handed in the middle of the night while ransacking the fridge for sweets.

After Hugo settled himself down, that big reveal in the surveillance room shifted me into a mood of teasing Nathan.

Skipping to his side, I tip-toed, reaching just a little below his ear.

"You know, it's rude to kiss others without their permission when their sleeping." I whispered. Quickly, I ran to my side of the door, afraid that Nathan would hear the loud thuds that came from my heart; about to make a huge crack through my ribcage.

The car stirred to life, whirring through the roads and past the streetlights. Though it was undoubtedly a buzzing hub on the outside, but on the inside, was a state of absolute tranquillity. It was one of those moments where one took pleasantry in the silence of each other. But, all that came to an end when a vehicle in the right lane banked a hard left; a close shave away from an accident.

"Shit!" Timothy cussed, muttering under his breath as he took a sudden swerve to the left, causing the passengers in the car to jerk in the same direction. Hugo, towards his passenger door and as for me, against Nathan.

Of course.

Just as Nathan bumped into his side of the door, he became my soft landing, enveloping me into his chest, to break the momentum.

"Is everybody alright?" Timothy asked, eyes still focused on the driveway.

"I'm okay." Hugo answered, shifting back to a comfortable position.

"Me too." Nathan followed, still having me pulled into his chest.

'I'm alright as well." I sounded, pulling away from Nathan after growing increasingly aware of our body contact.

Just before I could successfully be rid from that proximity, Nathan's hand caught mine, bringing it to a tight grip before placing the clasped hands on his lap. It was warm and firm, but not too tight to bring about pain.

"What are you doing?!" I murmured, ensuring that it was at a decibel that neither Hugo nor Timothy could perceive. Meanwhile, despite my struggle to tug away, all I got in return was an unyielding clutch and a frown.

The breath in my lungs were cut off as Nathan leaned closer to me. The closer he got, the more the surrounding air thickened, growing denser as he inched his face beside mine, lips lightly grazing my ear.

"Don't struggle."

The softness of his lips sent my senses into a convulsing mess, lighting my cheeks to a similar tone of a stop sign depicted a traffic light. By now, there was no doubt that Nathan could hear the pounding from my chest, a rhythm in which only he could stir.

"You idiot!" I mouthed.

"You're beautiful." He mouthed back.

As if my cheeks weren't red enough, I was absolutely certain that perhaps, its heat could have broken the scale on the thermometer.

Knowing that I have lost this round, I turned my head towards the window, exasperated at the need to restrain the joy and bliss that threatened to explode.