Chapter 34: Chapter 34

- Walking roses

Deila's pov

About to open the door to my dad's office, which I had been occupying over the last two months —and still was— I paused when I heard a familiar voice call for me.

I left the door ajar and looked to see it was.

"Hey, Nat. Good morning."

His smile reached his eyes. "Morning beautiful."

Beautiful? Now, that was weird. Or maybe not, I just never took well to complements.

But you take well to him complimenting you.

I sighed, knowing what him my subconscious was on about. And yes, it was true.

I smiled at him then he continued. "I heard your dad's in town, and I thought he'll be resuming first thing today. I was kinda surprised when I saw you."

Again with this, I thought to myself tiredly. Racheal had said something similar when I saw her on my way here. As expected, I wasn't the only one surprised that Mr.Barbson would miss a chance at working. He was known for being a workaholic. I had heard staff murmur their surprise that he had even gone on a vacation in the first place, so them been taken aback when he wouldn't resume first thing was normal.

"Yeah. I'll still be here for a while. Why? Eager to get rid of me huh?" I asked jokingly.

He snorted. "Haha haha, funny. If I could have my way, I'll make you permanent here. You're fab for a boss and in what you do. The company has never been better than it is now, under your leadership." He touched my jaw with his fingertips. "You're even a better friend."

It was my turn to snort. I jerked back away from his touch.

Any normal person would be happy when they appraised, but I wasn't happy being placed above my dad. My dad was an excellent CEO, the best I ever came across and I didn't say that only because he was my dad— the world saw that. The awards in his study said so. And the part where he said I was a better friend was weird enough, him touching my chin was just over.

"Thanks. I'll go now." I looked to the door I left open and started for it.

I settled into my seat with a smile. Swirling, I began to reminisce on what my dad had offered me in his study yesterday.

After we discussed at the office, I needed more than just a few minutes talking with my dad. And in the long talk we'd, he offered for me to act as CEO for the remaining months of the year. I couldn't give him an answer. Although, working here had grown on me if I was being honest with myself, but I still had something in LA. And even bigger things here. Go ahead and run away.

I cringed from the voice in my head and sat uprightly as the office phone rang.

"Yes?"

"Someone's here to see you," I heard Racheal's voice from the other side of the Telecom.

"Who?"

''The person said not to tell. Should I let them pass?''

She couldn't be serious right? "Are you asking me that? Let an anonymous in?"

"Ma'am, they said it's a surprise."

I resisted the urge to snort at her. She knew about the incident that happened the other day. What if it was someone coming here to kill me?

I mentally slapped myself as soon as I thought that, being too much of a pessimist wasn't my thing. But I couldn't blame myself when there's still a snitch in this building, breathing the same air I was.

"I don't like surprises. Tell me now who the person." I didn't care if my voice was too stern at this point.

They said it's a surprise, kept ringing in my ears.

"Ah-" she started then paused. "D-Dawn. Dawn, y-your brother ma'am."

My brows arched on its own, why was she stuttering if it was Dawn?

"Let him," I told her and immediately reached for my pepper spray. I had trust issues.

Not up to a minute later, I heard a knock on the door. "Come in."

The door opened to reveal not Dawn's, but a huge bunch of red and white roses that had a pair of walking legs.

Roses didn't walk on their own. The roses covered half of the persons' body that held them.

Dawn my not so sweet brother never brought me flowers. And the last time I received flowers was two years ago.

I suppressed a smile as I figured who it was, or maybe I knew from the onset and just didn't want to accept immediately. I always shoved admirers away before they talked past 'hi', and there was only this one person that had the guts to send me flowers and even bigger guts to charm me with them.

Slowly, the flowers went down. And Down. To reveal the face that I thought of every night before going to bed, James, and every morning when I woke up.

I could no longer suppress my smile. It went wider and wider till it turned into a grin.

Butterflies erupted, jumping around inside my stomach as his beautiful face came into view.

Hey! fly right where you are. Don't fly out- I inwardly warned the butterflies that started to erupt.

He strutted towards me with the sexiest smile I ever saw him on. It got sexier every time.

"Hello, angel. Good morning. If you would accept these flowers as a message from a Mister who loves you?" He asked bowing his head a little.

I chucked at his play. James's sweet side could melt my whole being. I cleared my throat as it had closed. "Thanks."

I went closer to the flowers to sniff the sweet smell and smiled when It filled all of my senses like I knew it would. I always loved the smell of roses, even though I wasn't much of a flower person.

I made to collect the flowers from him but gasped when his hands covered mine. Then he removed his, only to trail it down my wrist. I shivered.

Damn him! I cursed inwardly. He knew just what he was doing. He knew how responsive I get over his touch, no matter how little. No was I was allowing him to see it if I could help it.

I cleared my throat again, this time as I removed my hands from his. He stood straight and turned his face, but not before I caught the smirk he had on. He kept turning his head like he was in search of something. Oh yes.

"Put them on the table. I'll tell Racheal to bring a verse with water later," I told him knowing he was looking for somewhere to place them and he did.

He held my eyes as he took the seat across the line. I averted my gaze.

For a while, nobody talked. The air was intense but in a good way. I had sneaked a peek at him all the while and knew for a certain I wasn't the only one remembering what had happened the last time we were in a room together.

"Hey there." He decided to break the wall of silence, finally. "Aren't you wondering why I came? Seeing as your dad ended my supervision?"

Of course, I didn't think of that, how could I? I was too occupied with trying to control my overly-excited butterflies which seemed to be a difficult task.

"Now that you've said it. So..." I trailed.

"I was going to come to see you later today," he told me as he held me under his gaze.

I was squirming in my seat. He had to know his gaze does things to me. He looked away before he could and continued, in a more serious tone

"But then your dad said he wanted to talk to me, so I came earlier. I thought I'd see him here."

My squirms were now replaced with stiff shoulders. With seriousness, I gave him all my attention. My dad again. What was his deal with me and James? This time it was only James though. Maybe something work-related? Like the SAP accounts issue?

Calm the hell down, I scolded myself when I realized I was overthinking. There was nothing so off about my dad wanting to see James. After all, James was his godson before he became mine.

Mine? I just said mine, I thought happily, loving how it sounded in my head and knowing it would sound much better when I said it out loud. Mine.

"What? You don't seem too happy about it." His brows furrowed.

My expression must have mirrored my thoughts.

I forced a smile. "Oh, why? It's not like this is the first time you two will speak. What could be my deal?" I asked more to myself than him.

He giggled. "You tell me."

"Nothing," I told him.

Another phase of silence passed, this one more comfortable than the last.

He cleared his throat and my head snapped to him. "Aren't you forgetting something Dei?" he suddenly asked.

What could I be forgetting? It wasn't his birthday that I knew.

I sighed, knowing I had an idea what he meant, I dreaded this talk after yesterday.

I drew my brows together. "What?"

"We aren't back to this 'what?' stage like nothing happened yesterday. We made serious declarations or should I say confessions. And in all, you didn't give me an answer."

I sighed, looking to the window. I wanted to be confused and not have an answer for him, but I did have an answer. I wanted him too, I wanted us to kick off again. And I was ready as we were long overdue. I didn't think I could spend another day without knowing he was mine, completely. God, did I want him.

There was only one thing stopping me now, what if I leave for LA? What if I wanted to go back to my life there?

I opened my mouth to answer, just then a knock came. Only one person could come up here without announcing his visit especially after I'd resounded it to Rachael. Dad. Not again.

As if knowing it was my dad, James reaches for my hand and squeezed, giving me a reassuring smile as he sat back.

"I love you." It slipped out of my mouth before I could take it back.

"I love you, Dei." He mouthed 'later' as my dad entered, his presence immediately filling the room.

I didn't know what happened or what they discussed, but two hours later I came back to my dad's office as I had seen him leaving the building.

My dad had told me he needed the office and privacy. He resorted to begging me because I wasn't going to leave, I wanted to know what was so important he was going to discuss with James, and something told me it wouldn't be so good. The look on James's face proved it was indeed not so good.

I stood at the corner of the office watching his panicked demeanor. His face was red all over like he was in a dreaded state. I couldn't help but wonder, what had they discussed that made him the way he was?

He didn't even know I was standing at the corner the whole time I had been, or so I thought since he never looked my way.

"Deila. Why are you still standing there looking like you saw a ghost?" he asked with a distant voice. Oh, he knew.

Maybe it was me being paranoid, but the only time he didn't call me Dei was the day I broke up with him and the day he started supervising me. And the latter only lasted for a few hours. If he was calling me by my name in the state he was in, then my dad had told him something shaking.

I walked to him and gently placed my hands on his shoulders. I didn't know why, I just did. I wanted to comfort him. Seeing him in the state he was worrying.

"What's going on? Why do you have that look on?" I asked not even trying to keep the concern away from my voice.

He snickered. "If you only knew Dei."

'"That was the point of my question. To know." I swirled his chair around to face me.

He sighed. Then there was a smile on his face, obviously forced. "It's nothing. I'll leave now. I have to talk to my dad.'' He sprang up to leave a tingling kiss on my lips and the next second he was at the door.

He paused, turning to me with an unreadable expression then he left.

What the heck was that?

Something wasn't right, the suspense cloud that had started over when I had the discussion with my dad thickened. He had said I'll get to know why he wasn't so pissed when he walked in on James and me. He had made it sound like it was what he expected.

Then he had asked to see James and demanded that I leave for them to have their privacy. They had spent a long time locked in this room, for what? Talking? What had they talked about that had made James the way he was.

The unreadable expression he had on before he left was a bland look I wouldn't be forgetting. He was so aloof like everything else seemed to be since my dad returned which brings me back to my dad. I'd have to get him to tell me what in the hell was going on.

And if something really was happening, the dark cloud wasn't just in my head. They ought to tell me, I needed them to give something away.

I wouldn't fancy been left in the dark. Never.