Closer (A Dark Romance, Book 1): The Closer Trilogy

by M. C. Vann

  “How are you feeling? Are you hungry?” I asked, breaking the silence.

  Henry didn’t respond right away, probably still feeling guilty from last night. At least that was what I assumed he would feel. Eventually, he calmly padded over and sat down on one of the four chairs around the round, glass table.

  During the entire time we ate, not a single word was exchanged. I didn’t want to say anything because I worried one word out of my mouth would trigger him to cry or make him lash out again. But Henry didn’t say a thing to me either.

  “Larry will pick you up in ten minutes,” he finally said, standing up from the chair. I stopped chewing on my breakfast to register his words. “He’ll take you back home.”

  “How about you?” I asked, sounding concerned.

  “I’m staying here.”

  Probably for work, I guessed.

  After breakfast, Henry guided me down to the lobby where Larry was already waiting in the driveway. I was hoping he would say something to me, just anything, as we walked past the entrance doors, but he kept quiet. Were we ever going to have a chance to talk about last night?

  Henry opened the passenger door for me and as I began to climb into the car, his fingers lightly wrapped around my wrist to stop me. Almost immediately, I turned my head to face him and our eyes found each other in that second.

  Henry stared at me with crossed brows and an expression of not anger, but concern. I could see in his emerald eyes — he was fighting with himself on whether to say something.

  “What is it?” I gently prodded.

  “Nothing,” he said, freeing my wrist. “Just ... be safe.”

  I nodded with a tiny grin, but it was hurting me, knowing he didn’t want me to be by his side during this time. Would he be okay by himself?

  While Larry pulled out of the hotel driveway, my eyes lingered over to the side mirror. My heart rose in my throat at the sight of Henry still standing in the same place. His gaze focused toward me and mine on him.

  When I arrived back, I walked into the living room to find Nana on the sofa watching TV, something of a soap opera. I took a deep breath and tried my best to look happy.

  “Good morning, Nana,” I said with a bright face. I sat down next to her and she turned her whole attention toward me.

  “Morning, dear,” Nana said cheerily. “Where did you and Henry go? I woke up this morning with nobody home. I figured Henry took you on a date.”

  I chuckled half-heartedly. “Yeah.”

  If last night could even be considered a date, it would be the worst date in a century.

  “I’m so glad he is finally able to make some time for you,” Nana said. “I guessed my scolding paid off.”

  “I guess it does.” I kissed her on the cheek and excused myself to go upstairs.

  When I reached the top of the stairs, I couldn’t help, but be drawn to the door of Henry’s work room. It was still unlocked from yesterday when we left. I went inside and locked it quietly behind me so Nana couldn’t see what I was doing. The documents were still scattered all around the floor where we left them. Tears began to well in my eyes, blurring the words and pictures as I dropped to my knees to gather them up. After I had finished, I held the pile close to my chest while still on my knees.

  How could it be true?

  How could someone I love and care about do something so … monstrous?

  I didn’t know what to believe anymore. I was torn between believing my own blood and the man I loved — Henry.

  I loved both of them. And I wanted to protect both of them with all my heart.

  But it was impossible. They were enemies. They would never get along with each other. What was I supposed to do now?

  —————

  Henry never came back. He never called or texted me his whereabouts. I was used to this, Henry not calling or texting me.

  But I didn’t want to get used to it.

  I wanted to help him. I wanted to relieve some of the burden buried deep in his heart. I wanted to let him lean on my shoulder and trust me. He was still a good person and I still believed that. Regardless of the events yesterday, the thing that matters most was that he didn’t go through with it. He couldn’t do it. I could still save him. I could still bring him back to the light and back to me.

  During the time Henry wasn’t home, I received a call from Patty, one of Nana’s friends from lunch the other day. She had an opening for a marketing assistant and wanted me to apply for the position. I politely declined her offer at first because I knew she was going to hire me either way. But Patty talked to Nana who talked me into accepting the job.

  When I was researching the company, I noticed the building was only a couple blocks away from Pearce Hotel and Resort. Working there, I wouldn’t be too far from Henry, I thought. Maybe if we were a normal couple, we’d be able to grab lunch and talk about our day. And after the tiring turmoil of work, he would pick me up with a comforting smile on his face, and we’d go home together.

  But we weren’t normal. We weren’t even a couple, not really anyway.

  On the day of the interview, Larry offered to drive me there, but I insisted on taking the bus. It would give me time to prepare for the interview questions. When the bus pulled to my stop, I felt my heart pounding. It had been a while since my last interview which I can’t even recall.

  The grand sign by the entrance displayed Horizon Airlines in bright red letters. It sounded familiar, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. As I entered the grand lobby, I walked up to the male receptionist and casually informed him that I had an interview today. He checked his computer briefly to confirm my appointment before leading me to another room. The lady who interviewed me was nice and respectful of my experiences or lack of. I tried to sound eager — but not too eager — about the position as I described a little bit about myself. I was surprised she even disclosed information about herself as well and we even had a little fit of laughter in between conversation which I took as a good sign.

  The interview went for half an hour and although I hadn’t had an interview in a couple of years, she offered me the position right after. She informed I could start as soon as I can and of course, I said tomorrow.

  On my way out the door, I squealed to myself.

  I had a job!

  For the remainder of the day, I could not wipe the smile off of my face.

  —————

  On my first day of work, I decided on a black pair of trousers and a white blouse with a black blazer. As I was driving towards my new workplace, I stopped at a red light just before the hotel. I looked up at the top floor of the building and wondered if Henry was up there. I didn’t have a chance to tell him about my job. I wasn’t sure if he would be interested or anything, but I still wanted to share the news with him.

  Seeing that he was so controlling, would he get angry? I shook my head and disregarded it. Patty was a good friend of Nana’s. Henry would understand, right?

  “Good morning, Ally,” Patty said as I arrived in the grand lobby. “Congratulations on getting the job.”

  She wore a light yellow shirt with a dark blue blazer and a white pencil skirt while her white hair was pulled back into a clean bun. Behind her was a girl around my age. Her blonde hair tied into a tight ponytail, and she looked as though she had a lot on her mind.

  “Good morning, Patty, and thank you,” I replied with a grateful smile. If it weren’t for her reference, I probably wouldn’t have gotten the position. “It’s good to see you.”

  “You too. I’m so happy you decided to take the offer. You have made some people very happy,” she spoke with an obvious beguilement.

  “I have?” I asked in confusion as to who she referred to.

  “Anyway, Irene, my assistant will show you around today.” She changed the subject. Her assistant smiled at me and I smiled back. “Let’s have lunch together at noon, sounds good?”

  “Okay, thank you again,”
I said generously.

  “Don’t mention it,” she added before she continued down the opposite way.

  For the entire morning, Irene introduced me to my new co-workers and my desk which was a cool surprise. I didn’t expect to have one already. I could tell it was going to be very different from my last position as a florist. The attire was strictly professional, and the environment was fast-paced, very organized, and clean. Hopefully, the transition wouldn’t be too difficult.

  After checking my team, we took a tour of the building to all of the different departments from Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, and more. I haven’t walked this much since I moved in with Henry.

  At noon, I met with Patty for lunch down in the lobby. She waved me over and I, with a smile, rushed to her. After we had gotten our food, we sat at an empty table in the middle of the room.

  “So how did everything go?” she asked. “Do you like it here?”

  “Yes, it went very well,” I replied. “I’m glad that I decided to take this position.”

  “I’m sure you’ll be a great fit here, Ally,” she assured me. Her confidence was contagious. Although Patty was in her early sixties, she was a lot cooler and more laid back than most people her age.

  “There is someone else joining us today,” she said.

  “Really? Who?”

  “My grandson.”

  “Your grandson?”

  “Yes, he works in Finance. You may have missed him on the tour. He was strangely persistent on meeting the new girl we hired,” she said. Her eyes darted past me. “There he is.”

  I turned around in my seat to see her supposed grandson strolling down the aisle with a wide smile on his face. It was as if he already knew I’d be here. He was wearing a striped button down with a pair of khaki slacks that seemed to be tailored to his size.

  “Hey, Ally! What are you doing here?” he asked as he sat down next to me. He set his tray rather enthusiastically on the table.

  “I work here now,” I replied, a hint of suspicion in my tone. I suddenly remembered why the name Horizon sounded so familiar before.

  Nick worked here, and he was the one who offered me a job here before. Was he the one who set this all up?

  “No way! Did you plan this?” he joked, pointing a finger at me. I teased him by eyeing him distrustfully. “What?”

  “You told me this was your friend’s father’s company,” I reminded him.

  “It is,” Nick spoke. He glanced toward the woman on the other side; his eyes widened as if he was asking for reinforcement. “Did you tell her?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Patty replied.

  “You told her,” he said defeated.

  “I couldn’t lie to her, Nicholas.”

  Nicholas?

  I snickered to myself and both of them looked at me. He did not look like a Nicholas at all. He looked much cooler than a Nicholas. I guessed that was who he got the spunk from — his grandmother.

  During lunch, I learned the company was started by Nick’s great-grandfather. Now Nick’s father managed the company but was currently out of the country on business.

  I couldn’t help but wonder why Nick had lied to me about it. Was he trying to make me feel less inadequate? Or was he just trying to be humble?

  Nick offered to escort me back to my floor after lunch. We walked side by side and a few times, some people would bow slightly when they said their greetings to Nick. It was like he was some royal prince or something.

  “Why didn’t you just tell me the truth?” I asked.

  “The truth about what?” he said, holding his hands behind his back.

  “Oh, you know, how you’re the heir to this company.”

  “Ah, that.”

  “Yeah, that,” I repeated.

  “I guess ... I didn’t want you to see me differently,” he spoke earnestly. “You know … in the past, people have approached me because of who I am — because I have money. So, I tell that to people to weed out the bad ones, so it’s become a habit.”

  “I see,” I said, although I really couldn’t see. I was actually dumbfounded by his response. I always saw Nick as a party hard, extremely confident guy, but hearing him say something like that, it had changed my perception of him a bit. There was much more to him than just what he put off.

  “You’re a good one, Ally,” he said to me with a genuine smile. Before I knew it, we were already at my desk and Nick had already turned around to go back towards the Finance department.

  When I returned home, I was more exhausted than I thought I’d be. I knew I hadn’t worked a full day since Nancy’s shop closed down about a month ago, but I didn’t expect to be worn down like this. The muscles in my feet ached from all the walking I did, and my strained shoulders felt heavy to carry around.

  I grabbed the remaining work documents I had left to complete and headed down to the kitchen to eat something, hoping it will energize me. I found Nana in the kitchen, and she happily prepared something small for me as I explained to her about my first day of work.

  “Did Henry come back yet?” I asked, trying to sound casual.

  “No,” she replied sullenly. “He did call though.”

  “He called? What did he say?”

  “Nothing much. There was more of me in the conversation than him.”

  “Did he say when he’ll be back?”

  “I don’t know, sweetie. Don’t you call him?”

  That was when I realized, I hadn’t. I never usually ever call Henry. He was always the one to call me.

  After climbing into bed, I blankly stared at the phone screen. I scrolled down my contact list to Henry’s name and let my finger hover over his number for a few seconds before dropping my phone back down on the bed. I wanted to hear his voice, badly.

  But I knew Henry wouldn’t want to talk to me because if he wanted to, he would have called.

  I grabbed my phone again and forced myself to call him. As I blocked out any other thoughts, I pressed on his number and screwed my eyes shut, anticipating the first dial tone. I waited through the line, my heart half hoping he wouldn’t pick up and the other half hoping he would.

  Then I realized I didn’t even know what to say to him.

  “Hello.”

  He picked up. My heart fluttered in my chest after hearing his voice on the other end. The tears started to form in my eyes and I covered my mouth to stop myself before I started bawling.

  “Ally, are you there?” he spoke again.

  I inhaled a quiet, deep breath to calm myself down. “Henry…”

  His name was all I managed to say. I hoped that he didn’t hear the strain in my voice.

  “I—I just wanted to call to see how you were doing,” I said.

  It took him a couple of seconds to answer my question, but I waited patiently for him to tell me.

  “I’m fine,” he said simply. His voice wasn’t cold or angry. It was actually gentle. It was so long ago hearing his voice this way.

  “Okay, that’s good,” I murmured.

  “What about you? Are you doing well?”

  “Yeah.” I lightly sniffed. “When are you coming back?”

  “Um, I don’t know yet,” he spoke as though something bothered him. I wish I knew what it was. “Soon.”

  “Don’t stay away too long. Nana really misses you,” I told him.

  “Okay.”

  I waited for him to ask me something — anything — just so our conversation wouldn’t end. I had just called him, and it felt like we were already hanging up.

  “Good night then,” he said, interrupting my thoughts.

  “Good night,” I spoke just above a whisper.

  “Good night,” I heard him say again before he ended the call.

  I pulled the phone away from my ear in disbelief. The time that we talked for blinked on the screen, and I was disheartened that we didn’t even last a minute.

>   CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  The next few days of work went by better than I imagined. All of my co-workers were really nice and welcoming even though I had to bother them with many questions. There was a lot of information to learn and remember, but it worked out — it kept my mind off Henry for most of the day.

  Nick casually dropped by sometimes to say “hi” to me or ask how I was keeping up. At first, the kind gesture made me nervous. I was afraid people would misunderstand and assume we were in a relationship, but Nick assured me he had a girlfriend. I had a feeling his girlfriends didn’t last very long. He added in further consolation that everyone knew I was married to Henry Pearce. How they knew, I didn’t want to know.

  When the clock finally ticked five on Friday evening, everyone yelped in excitement that the weekend was finally here. I could finally relax, I thought. The pressure of surviving my first week of work was over, and all the thinking, sitting, and the endless emails had consumed all of my energy, mentally and physically.

  “Good morning, dear,” Nana greeted me the next morning as I came down for breakfast.

  “Morning, Nana,” I said. “What are you looking for?”

  “Some ingredients,” she responded. She searched in the pantry and returned with two boxes of Fettuccine in her hand. “You’re not doing anything later, are you?”

  “Nope, did you need me to do something for you?”

  “Actually, I invited Patty and her grandson Nicholas over for dinner tonight. Would you be able to help me prepare dinner?”

  “Of course, Nana, you didn’t even need to ask. Is there something special going on?”

  “No, I just wanted to make dinner for everyone.”

  I smiled and nodded to myself. Nana was such a thoughtful and kind person, always thinking of others first.

  “I called Henry this morning to see if he was in town,” she added, writing something down on her grocery list. “But from what he was saying, I’m not sure if he’ll make it.”

  “Oh…” The word fell inadvertently from my lips. “I’m sure he has a good excuse.”