Heartless: Episode 3

He clearly wasn’t going away. I glanced at my calendar and noted that I had forty-five minutes free this afternoon.

“Ben, I have thirty minutes free today at one, and that’s it. Come here, and get this over with, or stop calling me. I’ll leave your name with security.”

“I’ll see you at one,” he said before ending the call between us.

I stared at my computer, not having any idea what Ben would want to talk about after all this time. Obviously running into me that night had shifted something in him that it hadn’t done to me. Then again, he was male, and males tended not to really deal with issues right away—at least not in the same respect that females did. We would process things and deal with them immediately before moving on. Guys would only handle their emotions once they were forced to.

Seeing Kate’s name on my call log, I considered calling her for a brief moment, but I decided to wait until after my lunch with Ben. Maybe he would have some insight as to why she was calling me after all this time. What the hell was it about this family? One chance encounter after eight years, and they were suddenly blowing up my phone like we were old friends.

My cell phone vibrated inside my purse, and I reached down for it, noting another text from Daniel.

I hope you’re having a great day. I can’t stop thinking about you. It’s fucking horrible. What have you done to me?

I smiled softly before turning off all notifications and setting the phone on top of my desk. Everything he did distracted me. Instead of reading the rest of the script sitting on my desk, all I wanted to do was pick up the phone and hear his voice. It seemed his face filled my mind every time my eyes were open.

It was official. Daniel had ruined me. I had to make it stop.

Between Daniel wrecking my life and waiting for Ben to arrive, I was so twisted up with anxiety that I thought I might fall apart. I wanted to get whatever this was with Ben over with, so I could go back to focusing on work, if that were possible anymore.

“Elizabeth? Ben is downstairs at security.” Barbara’s voice fil

led my office.

“I’m on my way. I’ll be back before my call with Vancouver.”

“Sounds good. Call me if you need a rescue.” She looked at me, her face serious.

I found Ben waiting by the security podium with his hands in his pockets. His face lit up when he caught sight of me, and I wanted to punch him in the stomach for it. He’d lost the right to light up for me when he went down on my roommate, Kim.

“Thanks for seeing me.” He smiled and moved to give me a hug.

I slowly backed away and shook my head, and he tucked his hands back in his pockets.

“You didn’t really give me a choice. My assistant says you’ve been calling like crazy. What the hell do you want, Ben?”

Eight years of absolute radio silence, and now, he won’t go away. Not a single word spoken since that day in my living room, but now, he’s standing in front of me at my work as if we were old friends.

“Let’s go somewhere to sit first.” His eyes pleaded with mine.

I started to walk us in the direction of the studio commissary where everyone ate.

Once inside, I grabbed a tray and filled it with food. Ben followed my lead, filling his own tray with a premade sandwich, chips, cookies, and soda, before paying at the register. I led us toward a private dining area that I knew would be mostly vacant. The fact that we were at my place of employment irritated me enough. In case Ben caused some sort of scene, I didn’t want any witnesses.

Opening the heavy wooden doors, I breathed out in relief at the empty space and chose a table near the back of the room. Sitting down, I glanced at the clock on my cell phone, knowing time was running out.

“So, what’s up?” I asked between bites of salad.

“I miss you,” were the first words out of his mouth.

I almost fucking choked. “You miss me? Are you high?”

His hand reached across the table, and I glared at it as I briefly considered stabbing it with my fork before moving my annoyed gaze to his face.

He pulled his hand back. “I know I have no right to you anymore, but seeing you the other night brought back all these feelings and emotions. I never got over you, Elizabeth.”

“You sure seemed to get over me just fine,” I sneered.

“How would you know?”