Chapter-7

ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴇᴛ ɪᴛ ᴋɪʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ

ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪᴛ ʜᴜʀᴛs ʟɪᴋᴇ ʜᴇʟʟ

ᴏʜ, ᴡʜᴀᴛᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴛᴇᴀʀs ʏᴏᴜ ᴀᴘᴀʀᴛ

ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʟᴇᴛ ɪᴛ ʙʀᴇᴀᴋ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ

....

"C'mon Celeste, go cook something." His tone is challenging. I don't know what is going through his head.

"Go on, that's what you want right? I'm helping you in your plan Celeste, no need to act shocked." He continues, venom dripping from his tongue.

"What plan? I don't understand." He lets out a humourless laugh. "Drop the act, I've met a lot of people like you. Does your boyfriend know what you're doing right now? Does he know that you're in some other man's house right now?" He steps closer but is careful enough to not touch.

"How many men do you want Celeste? One boyfriend is not enough for you? Logan? What about him? Is he not enough? Or the new guy? He's not enough that you've to come for me? Let me tell you, you're never going to get me. I'm engaged. Still, want me? Or do you have some morals?" He seethes.

I will not cry in front of this man.

"Fuck. You. Chase. Fuck you." I take a step back.

"That's what you came for, didn't you?"

"I'm glad I got to know what kind of a man you are, and I'm glad I'll be finally leaving your shitty company soon, thanks for opening my eyes."

"I don't have time for your ramblings, get out."

"Happily. I hope your fiancee knows what a shitty person you are." I pick up my purse and leave.

The tears that I controlled back there were full-on streaming down my face. Those words weren't new to me, but I guess he was the last person I expected them to come from.

Luke takes one look at me as I enter and is on his feet.

"Are you okay Celly?" He asks, concern filled in his tone. Apart from my boss practically calling me a slut? Yeah. I'm totally fine.

"Yeah, just tired."

"You were crying." He says, more of a statement than a question.

"Something entered my eyes, I'm fine Luke. I'll head to bed now. Goodnight." I remove my shoes and head to my room.

I sneaked out as I kept tossing and turning in the bed, not able to get his words out of my mind. They kept replaying in my head.

I sat on the empty bench when I felt tired after running. I looked up at the sky, barely seeing two-three stars.

Engaged. He is engaged. Even a man like that has someone in his life.

"It's a man, isn't it." I heard a voice beside me. I look at the person sitting beside me, even in the darkness, I can tell he's good looking.

"How'd you know?"

"Wild guess." He looks up at the sky. "Whoever he is, doesn't deserve you."

"You don't know me, I might be a criminal. I might do this every day, I might kill you after robbing you." I say seriously.

"Trust me, I'll know. I come here everyday, it's the first time I'm seeing you here, on my spot." He says.

"It's mine now."

"I don't mind sharing with a pretty girl." He grins. I hum, looking back at the blank sky. "What's your name?" He asks.

"You might be a killer for all I know."

"I'll hate to kill such a pretty face."

"Not really assuring." I say.

"I'm Rome." He forwards his hand. I shake it. "Celeste."

"I like your name." He says, looking at my fingers.

"Thank you, I like yours too."

"What's the most embarrassing thing you've done?" He asks out of a blue lot of things actually, but can't think of one. What about you?"

"Nothing, I enjoy doing silly shit. Who cares what people think. What do people say? You only live once, right?" He grins, showing his perfect teeth and a dimple on his left cheek.

"What's your favourite fast food?"

"Burger." He keeps a hand over his heart.

"I think I love you." I tell him. "Ah pretty girl, I love you too." He winks.

"What's your favourite song Cel?"

"Don't let it break your-"

"Heart. I love that song." He completes it for me, he looks at me like he's going to sing it, then goes on and sings Macarena, messing up the lyrics.

We spend the next two hours talking about ridiculous things and judging people, we laughed like idiots at 3 a.m. out on a bench.

"I would take you for a good burger but I don't think anything is open right now." He says, stifling a yawn.

"Umhm."

"So what about tomorrow? Would you like to go out with me pretty girl? I think we're besties already. Give me your number." He takes my phone from my hand, saving his number as bestie.🫂💞🍔

"Thank you Rome, for cheering me up. I needed it, and I appreciate it alot." I keep my hand over his.

"Smile pretty girl, you look beautiful when you smile." He says as he snaps a picture of us on my phone and sends it to himself.

"I want to keep it as a memory if you decide to leave my ass lonely." He jokes and stands up.

"I'll walk you back pretty girl."

"Oh no-"

"I'm not letting you walk alone at this time of the night or morning Celeste." He says, pulling me up and wrapping an arm around my shoulder. He's so tall, maybe taller than Chase.

"How tall are you?"

"6'5 darling."

"Ooooh. That's nice."

He hummed as I directed him to my house. He's harmless. Everything I noticed about this man in the last couple of hours is good things only. He's so down-to-earth and kind.

"That's me." I say reaching my apartment.

"Take care pretty girl, I'll meet you tomorrow." He says before kissing my forehead and leaving in the opposite direction.

The first thing I notice in my office the next day is the bright daisies with a small note saying I'm sorry.

I know that handwriting like the back of my hand, he can shove his sorry up his ass. I threw the note in the dustbin and pick the bouquet and give them to a very ecstatic Layla. She's happy to decorate her desk with beautiful flowers. As I turn to go back to the top floor, I saw Chase looking at the flowers in Layla's hands with a clenched jaw.

Fuck him.

I step into the elevator, pressing the button as he comes near it. The door closes in his face.

He can take another one, won't have him riding with people like me.

I keep his plain black coffee I picked up from the cafeteria on his desk and made my way out. I emailed his schedule to him already and I'm all set to ignore him for the rest of the day.

By lunchtime, I received a bouquet of white roses, knowing full well that they aren't from Chase.

The note reads pretty flowers for pretty girl. R.

I don't know how did he get to know where I work, but these flowers are so fucking beautiful. I sniff them happily. I look up as I heard the door to Chase's office slam shut.

I don't give a fuck about him. He can shove his fiancee and his flowers up his ass.

I can't wait to meet Rome again though. I told Luke about him and he was so jealous it was funny. I can't wait to brag again and show him pictures which I failed to show him in the morning.