TWENTY-THREE

Yalda didn't wait another second once it clocked her closing time. She jolted to her feet and grabbed her already gathered things before stalking to Alexander's office, her mood was no better than it had been in the morning; perhaps it was even worse because Alexander had then pretended as though nothing at all had happened. She had fumed all day but there was absolutely nothing she could do at the end of the day.

She pushed the door open but didn't bother going in.

"I'm heading out now". She announced from the entrance.

His gaze flickered to hers immediately.

"You're going to the penthouse, aren't you?". He asked her.

She shook her head.

"No, I'm going to my apartment". She replied curtly.

A smirk curved his lips and he leaned back into his seat, he watched her with those demeaning eyes as he swiveled his seat slowly.

"Fine. Go on, Carl's waiting outside". He said simply.

She shook her head once more.

"I brought my car; I'm driving myself home". She replied.

He rolled his eyes subtly but said nothing to negate what she had said. He simply nodded.

"Have a good evening". She said before turning around and stalking out angrily.

The entirety of her was trembling as she made her way out, and though she heard Sarah saying bye to her, she pretended not to; she was in no mood for that. The sounds of her heels were loud and almost too audacious as she stalked out of the building, seeing her like this brought several thoughts to mind.

Perhaps she had gotten in an argument with the boss. Perhaps something had happened. Perhaps she had even gotten fired.

She had never seemed more upset before, even her eyes were dark and narrowed to slits. Carl's gaze flickered around uneasy as she made her way to the parking lot.

"Evening Ms. Harris". He greeted when she was close enough.

"Good evening Carl. I will be driving myself home today". She replied as she made her way to her car. "Have a good evening".

"You too". He replied simply.

She unlocked her car and got in, and she wasted no time in shutting the door, starting up the ignition and veering the vehicle out of the parking lot.

The fact that what Alexander had said about watching her from the sidelines kept replaying in her mind made her even more upset, she felt like screaming, she felt like telling him something that wohld hurt him just as much as he hurt her, anything at all. But he was like an impenetrable wall; there was absolutely nothing she could do or say to him that would bother him.

That's because he feels nothing for you....

The thought slithered through her mind and it made her even more upset. She gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles paled. Would she ever understand how a person could be so infuriating?

And about Jaxon, he had called her all day.

Wait? Was she suddenly feeling entitled to being called by him?

She shook her head at the thought. But then, she recalled that she hadn't opened the message he had sent when she woke up. She dug into her purse and impatiently rummaged through it in search of her phone, and it wasn't long before she found it.

She tried opening the message while glancing at the road ahead every now and then. And just as she tapped on the message to display the context on the screen, a loud honk sounded and her gaze snapped to the road in time to see a van driving towards her. Her eyes widened in horror and she veered the car aside as quickly as she could.

She wasn't sure what her car crashed into, all she knew was that she jerked forward and her head bumped against the steering wheel hardly right before the airbag popped out.

Too pumped with adrenaline to feel a thing, she unbuckled her seatbelt and tried unlocking the door so she could get out of the car but it was stuck. She tried once more but it still wouldn't open, and it was then she began to feel everything; the splitting ache in her head, the faintness, the fear.

She leaned her aching head against the headrest and her eyelids drooped as the faintness overtook her.

~~

She didn't need to open her eyes to know that she was in a hospital; the smell of antiseptics was thick in the air and it made her want to leave immediately. She groaned quietly as her eyes fluttered open to take in her surroundings, she confirmed that she was indeed in a hospital.

"Yalda". She heard Alexander's voice from beside her. She realized he was holding her hand when she felt a gentle squeeze. "Can you hear me?".

Her gaze flickered to his face, he was crouched down beside the bed. He looked.... concerned?

"How are you feeling?". He asked her.

Her head hurt and her eyes felt too heavy, those were the only discomfort she could feel at the moment.

"I want to leave". She said groggily.

His templed creased in what seemed to be irritation and he rolled his eyes.

"Don't be silly, Yalda. You were in a car accident, you had a concussion. You can't just leave". He said.

She couldn't believe she had actually been in an accident, she couldn't believe she had been stupid enough to try to read a text while driving.

"I want to leave". She said once more.

He scoffed in disbelief.

"Do you think this is a joke?". He asked her.

A joke? She was the one lying on a hospital bed wasn't she? She knew well enough that this was no joke. She let out a heavy breath before averting her gaze from his; she was still upset with him.

"I always tell you to be careful when driving. How could you have been so reckless?". He asked her. "Can you imagine my shock on receiving a call saying a Yald Harris had been in an accident when I thought you were safe at home?".

His chastising was making her head hurt even more.

"Stop". She said as her eyelids drooped tiredly. "You're making my head ache even more".

He blew out a breath resignedly. She could tell he was exasperated and she was glad.

"You're staying here for the night. You'll be free to leave tomorrow once the doctor confirms that all is well". He told her.

"And you?". She asked him.

Did he also intend to stay? She didn't want him to. He made her so upset. Or at least that was what she told herself, it seemed she had been telling herself a lot lately; most of which weren't the truth.

"What about me?". He in turn asked her.

She hated it when he did that.

"When are you leaving?". She clarified.

"Who said I was leaving?". He asked her.

She didn't want to accept it, but she was glad he was staying.

"I'm exhausted". She said simply.

He squeezed her hand once more.

"Go to sleep then". He said to her. "You'll feel better when you wake up".

His voice was soothing; It made her feel better in a way.

"Goodnight Yalda". He said.

And she felt him kiss her knuckles tenderly as she drifted off.