chapter 16

Matthias POV

Zach laughed at me while he takes a sip of his drink.

''Dude, you're not going to make it,'' He laughed again.

''Yeah, I get the fucking point, Zach,'' I retorted, taking a shot of my Vodka. I was too pissed to think about the argument between Josie and me. Yeah, I know I took it too far but damn but her ex drew the line mentioning my father. It threw me off and I had no choice other than throwing him a punch.

And now, Josie doesn't want to talk to me.

''Listen, you gotta take it easy on this, okay? Just let it go,'' Zach said with a light chuckle.

"What did she say?" Zach asks.

"She thought it was ridiculous that I had to pay someone to manage my staff."

''No lies detected,'' he smirked, I rolled my eyes. ''Take another shot, stop talking and enjoy, it's our night!''

My hands gripped the bottle in my hands, my eyes swiveling towards the back of my head in a distressing sense of a headache. I sigh as the walls become part of a funhouse, changing the figure in a blink of an eye.

My breath was the underlying cause of the smell of alcohol that entered my nostrils, and my mouth was sore from the amount of alcohol that I poured down my throat.

''There we go, that's my boy!'' Zach encouraged.
.....

The night came whispering sweet nothings, luring heat from tired muscles until I could rest no more. I was tired as hell, weary with the burden of long-closed eyes; I could have easily pulled off being a walking zombie, dead on the inside but subconsciously awake.

I climb onto my bed and rolled over to the side facing where Josie was. I feel as though energy is being constantly drained out of me, as though I'm leaking electricity.

Her form-fitting nightgown was a pristine white. It pooled around her like liquid silk. I watched her for a while and suddenly caught myself sleeping.
...

The next morning, I wanted to kill whoever had termed it 'morning sickness.' I felt like I had the most terrible hangover all the time.

Sunlight shines under the door like a ghoul's grin, yet gives the shutters a halo of golden rays.

I ran towards the bathroom and threw up in the sink. The sickness moved from door to door like a button salesman and just as unwanted. It washed from the east-side, a slow-moving tsunami of fever that picked off both strong and weak in equal number.

Knock

Knock

''Mr.Lekas? Are you alright?'' Shirley asked. She stepped inside the bathroom and jolts in fear seeing me slouching down on the floor.

''Matthias!'' She gasped, placing her hand on my forehead.

''Shirley, I'm fine, get my suit and briefcase ready--''

''--For work? Are you out of your damn mind, you look hideous!''

''I don't care. I'm going to work.''

''No you can't go to work like this Matthias, you look like you're dying.''

''I'll be fine,'' I hoarse.

''Matthias.''

''Shirley, I'm asking you, I'm telling you. Do it now.''

''Lord, you're stubborn,'' she said leaving me alone to myself in the bathroom.
....

The cold moves in only to meet the warmth of my blood, my defense against such ice. I feel it wash over my skin, again and again, only to be met by the beat of my heart, again and again.

My nose was stuffed and red while I kept swiping the napkin roughly against my nostrils.

''Boss, you should stay home,'' Galen said, escorting me and Josie to the building ''I'm fine, Galen," I replied.

''Boss, you got a stuffed nose. I can tell.''

''And I can tell that you're being annoying. I said I'm fine,'' I snapped.

He blew a laugh. ''Whatever you say Matthias.'' I went inside the building with Josie and escalated to the rooftop to meet up with Bob about the contract, finalizing paperwork including taking my name off of whatever my dad had planned for me.

''What?'' I said to Josie, who looks concerned.

''Your face is red, you need to hydrate.''

''I'm fine, Josie, you need to worry about me.''

''No you're not fine, you look like you're burning up.''

''- Matthias, Josephine, it's a pleasure to see you,'' Bob said to the both of us. He gave me a disgusted look and said ''Matthias, what happened to you?''

''Nothing.''

''It looks like he has a cold,'' Josie adds herself to the conversation.

''Man, that's not good, you should go home and rest young man.''

''No, I can't leave--''

''Not asking Matthias. You need to care about your health.''

"But-"

''No buts. Go home, get some rest.''

''Bob.''

''Son, can you stop being so stubborn and go home. I'll send you everything you need to know about the clause, the demands, and how we can fix it with you getting married to Josie. I promise.''

I ran my palm on my face aggressively and gave Bob the look.

''Come on, I'll take you home,'' Josie said, extending her hand out to me. I slowly locked my hands on hers as she takes us back to the main lobby.

''What are you doing?'' I asked.

''I'm going to take care of you.''

''Why?''

''Because I need to.''

''But--'''

''I'm taking care of you, don't argue with me,'' she snapped.