And before I realized what was happening, it was already too late, and the bottle had transformed into something else.
The bottle with its upcycled design was now a symbol for love.
You know that part of your body that has to beat and pump blood? It starts off as nothing but a human organ, a component making up the circulatory system.
But once that beating organ finds a deeper purpose and gets upcycled---
That’s when it becomes a heart, one capable of things that are beyond what it was originally created for---
I froze when I realized my thoughts had gone off the deep end. Shit. I gave my laptop’s keyboard a few furious jabs as I pulled up another batch of photos. Focus on work, Alyx!
In one photo was a close-up shot of an oversized polka-dot mug, filled to the brim with colorful marshmallows, caramel popcorn, and strawberry pretzels. Another photo showed Macy’s play area, which came complete with picket fences, artificial turf, miniature chairs, and tables. There was also a vintage mailbox---
I stilled.
Don’t go there, Alyx.
Don’t go there---
But my mind still went there!
Have you ever thought how a mailbox might feel when it receives a letter?
I covered my ears in a futile attempt to keep myself from hearing my thoughts, but the words…just…kept…coming.
It doesn’t really have a choice on which letters would come inside it, just like how the heart can’t choose which person’s love it would receive---
I squeezed my eyes shut in crippling shame, but it still didn’t stop the disgustingly emotional words from flowing out.
But what if a mailbox has a sudden, inexplicable desire to return one of the letters? What if your heart falls for another---
I slammed my laptop shut and without letting myself think, I reached for my phone and sent a text to a number I had memorized without intending to.
A reply came a moment later.
I’ll be waiting.
Alyx And Nathan
Nik Alexandropoulos led Alyx into his private office, tall, handsome, and unsmiling in a dark gray suit. “Please have a seat.” He gestured towards the couch, asking, “Would you like something to drink?”
She shook her head, watching him all the while, and waiting. There were so many things this man shared with Nathan Callis, and it wasn’t just because they were both Greek billionaires and as such, powerful and arrogant to a fault.
And yet---
“Do you mind if I drink?”
“Not at all.” Alyx’s voice was faint. Her head was reeling, and she wondered if she was suffering from shock. Her trembling hand went to her chest, and she felt her heart thudding harder than ever against it.
But that was the thing.
It wasn’t racing madly in excitement, but instead it was beating hard and fast…out of relief.
Across her, Nik settled himself on the armchair, a shot of whiskey in his hand, which he downed swiftly in one gulp. Tension was etched on his face, and she quickly looked away, suddenly feeling like a voyeur.
Once, seeing him in pain would have meant the world to her because it meant he knew she existed.
But it was different now. She looked around his office, which she had been to a few times in the past years. It hadn’t changed at all. It was still vast and luxurious, still decorated in his favorite colors – but now the fact that she knew what those shades were only gave her discomfort.
“So…” Nik’s polite drawl had Alyx looking back at him, and she saw the Greek billionaire leaning forward, his elbows settling on his knees as he clasped his hands together.
Her heart used to jump at seeing him like that, Alyx thought, and that it no longer did now only made her feel more lightheaded.
At the back of her mind, the meaning behind such changes lingered, waiting to be acknowledged---
Not yet, Alyx thought vaguely. Not just yet.
Forcing herself to meet Nik’s gaze, she said quietly, “I’m sorry.” Nik was a really smart man, and she knew she didn’t have to say anything else for the Greek billionaire to understand what the apology was for.
“You’re forgiven.” And without missing a beat, the Greek billionaire deadpanned, “I’ve always known I’m irresistible, so things like this tend to happen.”
Alyx fought against the urge to gnash her teeth. For all the trouble she had caused him – something they both knew he didn’t deserve in any way – she owed it to Nik Alexandropoulos to just let that one go.
His lips twitched. “No need to control yourself, Alyx.”
She gave him a strained smile. “It’s my penance.”
He laughed, and the sound was---
It wasn’t anything special.
Her head fell down, and she heard herself ask, “Will you tell Daria?”
A pause, and then Nik asked levelly, “Do you believe I’ll have a reason to?”
Ah. She could read between the lines easily enough, and she knew he was asking if she believed there was a chance for her feelings to come back. And slowly, she shook her head. “No.” Her voice caught as she suddenly found herself overwhelmed by emotions.