The Boy Who Has No Hope (Soulless 6)

“That’s actually kinda sweet.”

“My parents have told me I can use it whenever I want, so it’s always an option if I need some fresh air.”

“That’s even better—because it’s free. But when you go up there, you’ve got to make some real burgers. Salmon is not supposed to be on a bun…ever.”

I chuckled. “I agree.”When we walked into the building and past the front desk, Emerson moved her hand to my elbow.

I turned at the touch because we rarely shared physical contact. She occasionally placed her hand on mine when I confessed something emotional, but this touch made me slightly jittery, her soft fingertips on a sensitive part of my body. There was a flash of heat, an electrical current that made my nerves spark to life. But it passed quickly, like a comet burning across the sky. The second it was gone, it was like it never happened.

“Do you mind if we take a detour to your office?”

I glanced out the double doors to the golf cart station, knowing I had so much work to do in the lab.

“Derek?”

I turned back to her.

“I know your mind wants to be elsewhere, but we have to address this. You can’t just be an employee of your business. You have to run it too.”

I sighed because I wanted to ignore this like I always did, but I knew I couldn’t. “Fine.”

“Lead the way.”

I walked to the elevator, and we stepped inside. The main building was only three stories, so I hit the top button and we rose to the floor quickly, Emerson standing near the opposite wall, her purse on her arm with a notebook held against her chest.

When I glanced at her, I saw the way the end of her long ponytail rested between her shoulder blades. Her hair always looked soft and smooth, like a rose petal to the touch. Since she didn’t wear much makeup, her natural features were easy to see, the slight rosiness to her cheeks, a color that matched her lips. Her freckles were always interesting to me because they reminded me of the way the stars looked in the sky, bright lights on a sea of blackness.

The doors opened.

I waited for her to go first.

She turned to me, like she expected the same thing.

“Go ahead.” I nodded to the doorway.

A slight look of surprise came over her face before she stepped out.

I followed then walked beside her, approaching Lily at the front desk. There were two desks on either side, but I only had one assistant since I was hardly ever there. Two large doors made of dark wood faced us, along with a keypad to get inside. I hated carrying keys, so I chose to use keypads instead.

Lily’s eyebrows shot so far up her face she looked like a deer in headlights. “Dr. Hamilton…nice to see you. I-I wasn’t expecting you.” She rose to her feet and stood there, as if she didn’t know how to act because she only saw me a couple times a year.

I forced my manners to come out. “Nice to see you too, Lily.” I turned to Emerson. “This is Emerson, my personal assistant.”

Emerson shook Lily’s hand, wearing a big smile. “It’s so nice to meet you. Love your blouse.”

“Thanks.” Lily smiled then shifted her gaze to me. “How can I help you?”

I didn’t know what Emerson wanted to accomplish here, so I turned to her.

Emerson didn’t need to look at me to know to take charge. “I’ve been getting Dr. Hamilton organized. His private affairs at home are in order, as well as the office in his lab, so now I need to take care of this. Any insights you can give me would be helpful as we set him up with a strong filing system.”

“Of course,” Lily said. “Dr. Hamilton likes to store his things the way he stores the brilliance in his mind—all over the place.”

I never considered myself to be brilliant. I just used a different way of thinking. But whenever I explained that to people, they thought I was being humble, when I was actually being truthful.

I turned to the door and entered the pin, so the door unlocked. I stepped inside, and now that I was used to the changes Emerson was making to everything, seeing my messy desk and the papers spread out everywhere with no rhyme or reason was a little overwhelming. The place also smelled stale because I didn’t allow anyone in to clean it.

Emerson took a look around and released a quiet sigh. “Well…”

I crossed my arms over my chest and looked out the window, seeing a couple guys drive across the compound in a golf cart. The natural light made this place look even worse because dust was everywhere.

She walked to my desk and dragged her finger across the surface then examined the black spot on her finger. Then she grabbed a tissue and wiped it away. “How do you feel about me having my own pin number so I can come and go as I organize your office? Or would you feel more comfortable being in here while I do that?”