FOURTEEN

Perhaps she should have eaten when she got back, but her mood had been so crappy she had lacked the appetite for anything. She had gone straight to bed without even changing her clothes and had only woken up when her phone rang five hours later. It took her a moment to pull herself together before she reached out and picked up her phone.

Her blurry gaze settled on the screen, and after a moment, it became clear, and she realized it was Alexander calling. She stared at the screen irritably, considering whether or not she wanted to speak to him. Just when the ringing was about to end, she answered and held the phone against her ear.

"Yalda," his voice came smoothly from the other side.

"Good afternoon," she greeted quietly.

She was still upset with him; she was still upset about everything. She had just woken up, but everything seemed to be weighing down on her already.

"Did I wake you?" he asked.

"You did," she replied quietly.

"My apologies. I just wanted to inquire if you were feeling better," he said.

"I am," she replied dryly.

"Have you had lunch?" he asked her.

Didn’t he know when to stop? Didn’t he know when to let her be? Didn’t he know when he had done enough?

"I’m not hungry," she replied, her tone cold and distant, but he didn’t care. He never did.

"That’s not an excuse; have lunch and go back to bed if you need to," he ordered.

She shook her head even though he couldn’t see her. She wasn’t going to do this with him right now; she wasn’t going to argue with him and risk getting hurt.

"I’d like to go back to sleep now," she said quietly.

A moment of silence stretched between them; he hadn’t hung up, but he said nothing until she became uncomfortable. She was about to say something when he spoke first.

"Yalda, I swear if you don’t get out of bed and have lunch right now, I will make our next meeting excruciatingly grueling," he said. The darkness of his tone made her heart sink to the pit of her stomach. "Do you understand?"

She forced down a lump that had suddenly materialized in her throat as she clenched her fist tightly until her knuckles paled considerably.

"Do you understand?" he asked again, each word punctuated with purpose and promise.

She nodded, though he couldn’t see her. "I do," she replied.

"Good," he said, right before the line went dead.

Her throat clenched to the point that she found it difficult to breathe. She lay there, brooding heavily while tears stung the back of her eyes.

What had she done to herself? How could she have been stupid enough to let herself get emotionally attached to him? How could she let herself become emotionally dependent on him?

Deciding that she needed to breathe, she scrolled through her phone quickly and wasted no time dialing Riley’s number. She couldn’t risk thinking it through, or else she would change her mind. She waited anxiously with every second that went by, and relief washed over her upon hearing her voice.

"Yalda!" Riley’s cheery voice sounded from the other end. "I didn’t actually think you’d call."

Some things never changed, apparently.

"Hi Riley," she responded. She tried to sound as cheery as she could be, but even she knew she wasn’t doing such a good job.

"Lol, girl, you’re trying too hard," Riley said while chuckling. "What’s up?"

"Still wanna hang out?" she asked uncertainly.

She knew she seemed almost like a creep now; first she sent a text asking to hang out, then she ignored her message, then she called her asking to hang out again.

"You wanna hang out on a weekday? A Monday?" Riley asked her.

She nodded, though Riley couldn’t see her.

"Yeah. But if it’s not convenient for you, I understand," she said.

"Well, Parker’s at my mom’s, and Dave’s away on a business trip. It’s definitely convenient," Riley replied. "When do you want to meet up?"

She assumed Dave and Parker were her husband and child. She didn’t know them, but she was thankful they were away.

"In about ten minutes," she replied.

Riley chuckled once more. "Girl, I really think the sky’s falling," she said. "Text me the location."

"Sure. Thanks," Yalda replied.

It was truly awkward for her, but there was nothing she could do. If she stayed in here, she’d lose her bloody mind. She needed to hang with someone who didn’t edge her, who didn’t suffocate her with their powerfully choking aura. She needed to unwind.

"See ya!"

And with that settled, she pulled herself together and climbed out of bed determinedly.

Soon enough, Yalda was seated in a café having smoothies with Riley. She hadn’t realized how much she had needed to unwind until she began talking to her about random stuff that didn’t concern or stir unsettling feelings within her. She was actually relaxed being here, watching people go about their business like nothing in the world was wrong.

Riley’s energy was bubbling as always. She went on and on about how glad she was to hang out with her after so long.

"I swear, girl, it doesn’t even seem like we’re in the same city," she was saying. "We hardly ever see each other."

Yalda nodded. She had never been one to talk much; she wasn’t the typical chatty girl, and she was more than glad that Riley was chatty enough for both of them.

"You must be really occupied with your job," Riley said. "I’m glad you took a day off today. If you keep this up, you’ll never get married."

It was meant to be a lighthearted joke, but it unsettled her and caused her smile to waver.

"Is being married really that cool?" she asked quietly.

She had never thought much about getting married or settling down and having kids. Being with Alexander never allowed her such thoughts; they seemed almost alien to her now.

Riley nodded immediately. "It is," she replied. "And the best part is Parker; she’s an angel."

She couldn’t help but wonder what having her own child would be like, what living with a man who loved and respected her would be like; a man who prioritized her.

"Wait, you do intend to get married at some point, don’t you?" Riley asked her.

She cleared her throat quietly, awkwardly.

She didn’t know; after all, she had only just thought of it. But she couldn’t possibly tell her that, could she?

She nodded. "Sure," she replied.

"Girl, do you even have a boyfriend?" Riley asked her.

She blew out a breath. Alexander wasn’t her boyfriend, far from it, but he was the only man in her life at the moment. She found herself nodding.

Riley’s eyes lit up at once. "Really? What’s he like?" she asked excitedly.

Yalda leaned back in her seat. She let her mind drift back to Alexander; his eyes, his hair, his dark smile, his voice. She thought about how regal he was, how flawless, how smart, how witty, how graceful he was. She thought about how elegant he was, how alluring. The entirety of her thoughts summed up to one word: perfection.

"He’s perfect," she replied at last.

Riley grinned. "He must be really romantic or good at whatever he does to have Yalda Harris call him perfect," she said. "He must really love you."

Her smile wavered once more, and her heart felt like it had been stabbed, but she retained her composure.

"I’m glad you have someone who makes you happy. You deserve to be with someone who really understands and loves you," Riley told her. "You’ve been through so much, and you’re so strong. I literally adore you."