FIFTY-FIVE

Like the previous time they had been there, Linda had packed up some food for Alexander on their way out, and though he had insisted that she didn't need to, she had coaxed him into taking it.

"You only just need to boil some pasta and heat up the sauce." She told him. "I know it can't be easy to have to buy food all the time."

"Linda, you truly didn't have to." Alexander said as he took the paperbag from her. "Thank you so much."

Yalda watched quietly as the older woman stepped forward and hugged him dearly.

"Are you truly alright, my dear?" She asked him quietly but she heard, and her heart once again ached for Alexander.

"I am, you don't need to worry about me." Alexander replied quietly. "I just need you to take care of yourself and be alright."

This side of Alexander was new to her, and it was overwhelming, it made her want to cry for absolutely no reason at all. It made whatever she felt for him multiply by a thousand folds till her heart felt too heavy. She cleared her throat quietly to get their attention.

"I'll wait in the car." She said knowing she had no business being here. Linda may not have been Alexander's blood, but she was definitely family. "It was lovely seeing you again, Linda."

She turned around to leave when the older woman released Alexander and held her wrist, she engulfed her in a hug which felt way too maternal; which made tears sting the back of her eyes.

"Take care of him." She said to her, her voice barely a whisper.

So, she truly believed that she was Alexander's girlfriend, she needed to clear this out because the burden weighed so heavily on her shoulders.

"I'm his secretary; I work for him." She told her quietly.

But Linda chuckled, not the reaction she had been expecting.

"I know dear." She said vaguely.

And with that, she released her and backed away from her so she could look at the both of them.

"Alright then, goodnight." She said. Her eyes were moist now. "Do come again sometime."

They both nodded.

"Goodnight Linda." Alexander said before he took Yalda's hand and guided her out of the small but very homely space.

The drive back to the penthouse had been quiet; it seemed they had both been lost in their own thoughts till they arrived at the penthouse.

Loki running over to them had been what snapped her out of her thoughts, she crouched down and picked him up knowing that was exactly what he wanted.

"Thank you for dinner." She said to Alexander quietly. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight Yalda." He replied.

She nodded before she headed to her room. And she wasn't sure what exactly it was that bothered her so much, but as she turned in for the night, she found herself crying quietly.

~~

8:40am.

By the time Yalda was all set for work, she had headed out of her room expecting to meet Alexander in the living room, however, she found the entire house void of his presence; he had left already.

Yes, they couldn't make a habit out of going to the office together, but he could have at least told her he was leaving. Perhaps he still wasn't in a better mood, that was understandable since her mood wasn't better either.

She was merely trying to not think too much about everything, things would undoubtedly go spiraling out of control if she did.

Carl was waiting for her outside when she got downstairs, she was glad she didn't have to drive herself; she hadn't been too keen on getting behind the wheel since the last time.

"Good morning Ms." Carl greeted as he opened the door for her.

"Good morning Carl, thank you." She replied as she slid in.

The drive for quick and smooth like always, and it wasn't long before she was stepping out of the elevator and heading to her desk. She set her things down like she always did before going to Alexander's office.

She opened the door and stepped in as always, and her gaze went to his desk first but he wasn't there. She scanned around till she found him by the wine console, holding a glass of bourbon.

Her brow arched slightly as she stepped further into the office. He was having a bourbon at 9am on a Wednesday? That was definitely unlike him.

"Good morning." She greeted, her gaze lingered on the glass as he raised it to his lips and took a sip.

"Good morning, Yalda." He replied when he lowered the glass.

"Are you alright?" She asked him.

He in turn arched a brow at her.

"Why do you ask?"

Was he really asking her that? She knew him well enough to know that he never drank alcohol so early in the day.

"It's barely 9am and you're having a glass of bourbon." She pointed out.

And to make it worse, she was so very sure he hadn't had breakfast.

A smirk curved his lips but his eyes remained blank and emotionless. He pushed himself off the counter he had been leaning on before making his way over to where she stood.

"It's refreshing." He told her.

She looked into his eyes as she searched deeply for anything at all but she found nothing, he was so good at concealing everything he thought and felt behind those eyes of his.

"You look like you could use a glass yourself." He said as he offered her the glass.

Her gaze flickered from his to the glass, and then back to his. She chuckled humorlessly as she shook her head, he only needed to look at her to know that the world was weighing down on her. To spite him, she reached for the glass but he retracted it at once.

"I could definitely use a glass." She told him.

He shook his head.

"I don't quite think so." He said.

So it was okay for him to do it but wasn't okay when she did? There it was again, his double standards.

"But it's okay when you do it?" She asked him.

He rolled his eyes heavenward, he was exasperated.

"Yalda, I get to do whatever I want." He told him. "It bloody okay if I choose to do coke first thing in the morning, but it is not okay for you. Do you understand?"

"Why not?" She retorted.

He took a single step closer to her, and she wasn't sure why, but she was compelled to step back, and she did, but he reached out and held her arm to stop her. A shuddering breath left her as she stared up into those eyes of his; he always had that effect on her.

"Because I said so, Yalda." He replied.

It was way too early for all of this, she couldn't start her day with this kind of energy. Dragging in a deep breath, she shook her head.

"It's clear to see that you're not quite yourself this morning." She said quietly. "And I wish you'd talk to me instead of opting for this."

Her gaze lingered on his glass briefly before returning to his.

"I'll be at my desk if you need me." She added.


His hold on her arm weakened and his hand fell off her.

"You're my secretary not my therapist, Ms. Harris." He said. "And we communicate better when I have you screaming for the bloody world to hear."

With that being said, he turned around and walked away while she stood there feeling like she had just been smacked across the face.