Chapter Three

'My aim has always been modest, I wanted to transform an arranged marriage into a love match' - Marcelle Ferron

As the lift door opened up at the bottom, I had just come out of my seizure.

Again.

My second seizure in his presence.

"Welcome back again Miss James" I could hear him say as I came out of my seizure for a second time.

"Chloe, Albert" I yelled, standing up from Nathan's arms again.

"What's wrong?"

"My book, it's everywhere"

The pages of my manuscript was all over the lift floor, the pages weren't in order and it was all messed up. My OCD started to kick in, it was muddled, messy and uneven and I didn't know what to do.

So when Nathan bent down to pick up my manuscript, he fixed it (sort of) the pages were still in the wrong order and it was still a bit uneven, but my beloved characters and closest friends were back in my arms again.

"Thank you" I said turning to Nathan as he handed me the very last page back into my position.

"Don't worry about it Bean"

"Bean?" I quizzed him.

"Yea... Your small and tough, like a bean"

"Sure...." I looked at him unsure by what he meant by that.

I wasn't sure how to take the nickname 'Bean' because it's a food, I couldn't decide if it was sweet or nasty because I am disabled. After my 28 years of being in this world, I've learned to question exactly what everyone says to me and take most of it with a pinch of salt as my mum always taught me.

Was 'Bean' supposed to be cute?

Was it supposed to be nasty?

Was it to hurt my feelings?

I just didn't know and I wanted to know. I wanted to know if this meant that he thought it was nasty or cute.

That was what I needed to find out.

"Cierra, you're still here" Valentina said as she ran down the stairs, closely followed by her mum Melody who I had been friends with for a very long time.

"I'm still here" I smiled awkwardly.

"Cierra, I'm so sorry"

"Melody, I..."

"Say no more.... It wasn't your fault, you did the right thing" Melody reassured me.

"I did?"

"Yes, this nitwit can stew... I'm taking you somewhere you'll be appreciated" Valentina told me, taking me hand.

As I left Nathan and Melody behind, I turned to face them to watch as what looked like Melody giving him a telling off like any mother would if their child has done something wrong. Obviously Nathan turning my book away, in Melody's eyes was the wrong move to make.

I, however, wasn't the bit worried because in a way I was expecting this. My whole life I have been turned down by people who were supposed to support me, teachers who were meant to do CVs for me, charity shops who was supposed to support me by standing by my side only to say that I stole from them when they knew that I am dyslexic, and disabled, phoning their superiors to find out they had no clue I was disabled in any way.

So, yeah...

I've had my fair share of rejection, this was not my first and not my last either, I wasn't going to cry over it. I had my shop, my notebooks and my manuscripts I'd already finished. If nothing came out of my meeting I could easily self publish if I wanted too. If people enjoyed my stories that much from just looking at them at the shop.

"Funny right"

"What is?"

"Seeing Nathan in trouble"

"Only to you Valentina" I abruptly notified her as I walked away from the doors of the office.

"Cierra, wait up!"

Walking towards the car, Valentina managed to catch up pretty quick. I knew where she was coming from because I watched when Rob was in trouble and my parents gave him a row, it was just a little bitter sweet.

"Cierra, are you ok?" Val manged to exhorted out of me.

"Just nervous"

"Toby is harmless, you'll be fine... Plus I will be there"

'hmm' I thought as Valentina entrusted all of my confidence and put it into her hands.

Arriving at Kingsley Publishing Co. at the other side of Hollywood almost an hour later, I could feel my phone buzzing up with missed calls from Cody,Rebecca and Meghan. I hated my phone on vibration but Cody insisted that I had it in case I didn't hear my ringtone.

"Toby!" Val exclaimed from the car with excitement.

"So, who is Toby then exactly?"

"Well..."

'knock, knock'

All of a sudden this young man, same age as Valentina by the looks of it walked up to us, his confident, preppy attitude. I wasn't really feeling confident about being in his presence, however I didn't know him and you don't ever judge a book by its cover.

"You must be Cierra" He benevolent told me as he helped me out of the car.

"Uhmm..."

"Excuse me, what about me!" Valentina grumbled as her boyfriend didn't bother helping her.

"You don't need the help Val! Plus, I a'int trying compete with your brother for your business"

"Hahaha... Not!" She whimsly giggled as she tried not to show that she was jealous of me.

Entering Kingsley Publishing, it was the opposite from Melody's Company. More updated, more staff, authors pictures on walls. The whole place was just brighter... I could see why Melody wanted Nathan to step up a bit.

"So, what do you think?" Toby was inquiring to see whither I was up for being part of his 'Family of Authors'

"It's impressive"

"Do you think that you would be happy here?"

"Here?... You haven't even read my stuff!" I protest as we wandered through the halls of the company.

My mind was spinning, it was as if he had already read my book. Read about Alexandra, Damon and Cole. How did he have the opportunity to read my book before I arrived?

Turning to me just as we reached his office, he and Valentina gave each other a look. Then he replied with...

"Melody sent it to me last week"

"She did what!" Astonished, I didn't know what to think.

Did she sabotage the meeting at her company for Toby's?

Was she on Val's side more than Nathan's?

Was I just piggy in the middle?

"What exactly did Melody send you?"

"A lover's Struggle, the first ten chapters"

"So, she gave you my whole story so far..."

"Mom, gave Toby everything you showed myself and Nate" Valentina piped up.

"So... I don't...."

"Follow me, I'll let you know exactly what I'm talking about"

Following Toby and Valentina into the board room I was anxiously awaited for another turn down.

As the door shut behind us, sitting at the table facing Toby and Valentina beside me holding my hand as if I was a child lost in a park.

That's was when I realized that she was trying to be my friend and not do what Melody asked her. She didn't have to stay with me and see this through, although it was her boyfriend so maybe that was the reason. However, she was I was happy that I had most likely made another friend in just a few hours.