Chapter 101: Chapter 101

KRISTEN

"No, I didn't tell her that!" I whispered fiercely like my voice was filtering through an amplifier. "I would never tell her to work!"

"I'm not saying you did." Edith was so calm about it. I don't think I have ever seen her worked up over something. She is so reserved and calculated, that sometimes it's almost scary. "What I am trying to say is... maybe you bleakly suggested or stated that your finance—"

"Edith, nooo," I suppressed the need to sigh. "I would never make June feel that I can't support us financially. I wouldn't think of doing that, even if I have just a dime left."

"I'm just trying to cover all grounds." She seemed to be very deep in thought. "I don't know what to say right now."

I didn't know what to say either. One minute it feels like everything would be okay, the other minute, my thoughts and feelings are mercilessly scattered.

Only one thing makes me appreciate the condition I am in.

I can clearly see who had been pretending to love or care for me. All the people who bailed from the very second the news was released would never come back into my life even after everything is settled.

"I have a plan..." Edith ran her tongue over her lips. "Why don't you convince June to leave the country for some time?"

"What?" I knitted my brows. "That is not happening."

"It is for the best," she said. "She gets to stay in a place where she is free to mingle and make new friends, and you get to experience peace since her absence would make it easier for the headlines to die down."

She made sense, but...

"I can't send June out of the country alone. If she is leaving, I will go with her."

A deep sigh from Edith made me understand how much mental stress I was putting her through. "I don't know what over the place she would be. I don't even know if she would be safe there. I can't risk it."

"Kristen, there are some things you don't know about women..." For the first time since Edith walked into my office that morning and sat opposite me, she stood up, displaying her beautiful flowered-pattern skirt I was initially admiring, and approached my side of the table."The trauma of losing a child, especially in circumstances like this, comes with heavy guilt and pain. June needs a safe space. She needs a place where she can forget this episode, somewhere she can heal. Trust me when I say she must be blaming herself for everything."

"I am her safe space," I said stubbornly. "I will help her forget what happened. We will help each other heal. As long as we have each other, I know everything will be okay."

"Oh, Kristen, you're so infatuated that you can't see what's right in front of you..." She leaned forward and palmed my face.

Infatu- what?!

This ain't no damn infatuation.

I know what I feel. Hell, I know how June feels. This is not something we forced. I don't think these feelings are going anywhere anytime soon.

"... you need to free her, let her go for some time, or else you might end up regretting after discovering that you ruined her life..."

She stared into my eyes, digging straight for my soul to let the words sink in.

"That is not happening," I whispered since she was just inches from my face. "The reason I came to you is to ask for your help."

To my relief, she pulled back and flipped her hair out of her face.

"What is it?"

"Please help me talk to June. It seems she is warming up to you."

"I doubt if she would hear me out, but what do you want me to talk to her about?"

"Her decision to work. Please, talk her out of it. I just want her to be safe."

"I still maintain that June would be safer somewhere else without you. If she leaves the country, I am sure—"

"Die that idea, Edith. If she is leaving the country, I am going with her."

"And start another scandal there?" Edith scoffed. "Kristen, you've always trusted my pieces of advice on things. I wonder why you are so stubborn now. I mean, it's June's safety we are talking about."

"I am so tired," I sighed and lowered my head. Just months ago, my life was fine. I would wake up, jump into any clothes and accessories I see and drive to work. Sometimes, I'd leave the office early so I could stop by the hotel and release some steam. June and I would have dinner that evening, laughing and talking about how her day went.

She always had a story to tell.

It wasn't surprising. After all, everyday drama in high school and college is a norm.

Then... One day, everything just... crashed. I can't tell at what point it happened, but I was aware that something changed...

A soft touch on my cheek made me look up.

Edith hovered above me, her blue eyes boring into mine and her hair falling over her chest, resting gracefully on the supple dive between her chest.

"You look stressed," she diagnosed after feeling my cheek and neck. "I know what you need..." Her hands slid down, rubbing and caressing as she slowly settled on her knees between my legs. "I can take care of you better than June or those whores," she smiled at me. "And you know that."

I was so surprised and tired and frustrated that I didn't push her away at first. Most of my immobility came from what was going on in my groin.

On a normal day, I would have grabbed her and laid her bare on the table while getting ready for the big deal. But... I wasn't even getting hard.

"You know I pleasure you better..." She wasn't giving up. Her hands made their way to my cock.

I grabbed both of her hands before they got to their destination. "Edith, stop."

"You don't look like you want it to stop," she smirked.

I was getting irritated. "Edith, please stop." I pushed her back and dragged myself to a standing position.

Edith's face creases into a frown, "What's wrong with you, Kristen."

"Edith, I have a lot on my head and this is the solution you can offer?" I shook my head and started for the door. I should check in June to know the latest.

I had already started for my phone when it suddenly began to ring.

It was Mark. Maybe he had found a way to talk June out of taking a job! Yay!

"Hey Mark. I was just about calling you guys." I tried not to smile.

"Is June with you?" he asked immediately.

I frowned. "What the hell are you talking about? She said she was going to meet you this morning for the job stuff."

Edith had risen and was now behind me, trying to decipher who I was talking to.

"Yes, but she told me not to bother. She said she was going to spend some alone time in the park." Now, Mark was scaring me. "I have tried calling her. It seems to be ringing, but she isn't picking up."

"Mark, what the fuck?! She was supposed to meet you! Since you're the last person she spoke to, where the fuck did she tell you she would be going?!"

"The park," Mark said, almost in a whisper.

"Fuck!" I grabbed my keys, ended the call and dialled June.

"Wait for me!" Edith called from behind...