Chapter 112: Chapter 112

Jared's eye moved from his computer screen which he had been glaring at for minutes while he remembered his conversation with Tyler to the door as he heard a tentative knock.

His lips curved into a little grin, as he couldn't believe how naturally a lying smile come to him these days even when he was feeling out of it. He nodded at her, an indication for her to come in.

She was holding two cups of hot coffee, one of which she passed to him while sitting on the couch adjacent to him.

He gazed at the coffee in front of him, "And I thought black coffee was just for bitter people?"

She shrugged, "Sometimes I think we need a bit of bitter in our sugary sweet life."

He took a sip of his coffee, "I think this should be incorporated in the ad story because we seem to be connected through our love for caffeine, what do you think Maya?"

She didn't know what did it maybe it was his completely serious blank face or the ridiculous waggling of his brow which followed his sentence but she threw her head backward and laughed hard. Something she had not thought herself capable of a few minutes ago when she stood at the door of Jared's door unsure of knocking.

She was just realizing how she had managed to make everything about her forgetting that Jared was also in those images. He was even much of a victim because she had been the one doing the leaning in on him and had been on the receiving end of Xavier's displeasing tone both on that day and earlier today, in his office while he ordered him around.

If there was an award for the most understanding boss of the decade it should be handed to Jared and if there wasn't, then that should be up for serious consideration because it is needed.

"I'm sorry about everything today."

He looked at her for minutes like she had grown two heads overnight.

"What are you sorry about? You had an article about you published without your knowledge, a picture of you too taken while you were completely unaware of it and you have problems with your fiance. Just because of this job and you feel sorry?"

She raised her brow, "Xavier shouldn't have__"

"I'd have done even more than Xavier had if I was in his shoes."

"No, you wouldn't." Maya firmly argued.

He grinned, "Okay, no I won't." He agreed.

He was more of the let's talk it through at home than the "brooding jealous get your hands off", "she belongs to me" and "making a point" kind of guy but at the end of the day it was clear as day that those pictures Tyler had taken even while knowing that Xavier could tell it wasn't staged could cause issues in any relationship not to mention Xavier's.

He had seen the fear in his eyes and could tell he was at the brink of snapping just thinking of Maya not being with him. He had always been so tortured on both occasions he meets him due to the unduly situations surrounding these meetups to recognize him but he too couldn't see a glimpse of the invincible cold-hearted prick he used to be.

Somehow even though not fully he was a changed man holding on to Maya like she was his last shred of sanity. Tyler would surely get his full revenge by taking Maya away from him, because not only would he wreak his life but make him a shadow of himself but what Tyler didn't know now was that he just might not bear to live with himself after that.

"I don't know why he always does the things he does. First, it was his unruly attitude to you at the restaurant, and now this? I'm sorry."

"Because that's the only way he knows how to love." He muttered to himself.

"Mmm?" Maya caught his incoherent words.

He smiled, "Nothing."

"And again, I also hate how insensitive I've been to how this issue must also be to you and your relationship."

"No need to bother. This man is single," she didn't know why she had comfortably assumed he was in a committed relationship and was so stunned her eyes bulged to discover otherwise, maybe it was because of his kindness or understanding and because she knew he could make any woman, forever happy and give her a wholesome feeling like she was walking on clouds but she was sure it had nothing to do with his wealth or net profit.

Jared had mistakenly become a wealthy man. The cars, the figures that had been an accident that his talent had incurred and she could tell his simplicity at heart seeing through all the glam.

"Anyways, Anybody who sees those pictures would think they were staged and we were aware we were being shot." He completed showing off his pearly set of teeth.

"Wow," she managed to mumble.

He gave her a confused look amid his ever-present smile.

"Still can't get over the information that you are single." She narrowed her eyes at him, "You ain't gay, are you? Because if you are, I ain't judgemental and I have many gay friends that I can hook you up with to show you how liberal at heart I am and I don't care__"

"Maya," he mumbled amused, she blinked stopping her rant. "I ain't gay."

"Thank God," her eyes widened at what she had said, "Not like I'm a judgemental person but I don't have any gay friends not to mention the big loss you playing the other field would be to the female population and__"

She stopped as she noticed he was struggling to hide his laughter even as she bit on her lower lip realizing that she had gone out of control with her rants as usual.

Her cheeks were flushed, as she waited for him to be done with him laughing at her very public display of folly even as he doubled over in laughter, doing nothing now to hide it

"You are so cute." He muttered, chuckling in between as he gave her a glance after recovering from his fit of laughter while she shot him a glare.

"I'm single, not because of the lack of women ready to fill in that vacant position or as a result of my inability to accommodate one," he started and she almost rolled her eyes when he had mentioned that there was no lack of women. Like why would there be? Except the whole of NYC's single female population has been struck with blindness, who else would turn down a sweet, funny, intelligent, good-looking guy like Jared and his second option? She knew he could love deeply and whole heartedly.

"So what is holding you back?"

"I haven't found the one."

"The one?" She raised her brow.

He nodded, "My soulmate."

"How would you know when you see her?"

He grinned, "I'll just know."