Chapter 18

Jace:

I was reading out the status of the company in the past year when I felt boredom hit the best of me, causing me to throw the file back on the table. I leaned back in my chair and ran fingers through my hair. I was exhausted already. The night before had been exhausting and I still hadn't slept well.

The girl screeched too much but the body was worth it.

I let loose of the top two buttons of my white shirt and yawned, again.

What the hell was wrong with me?

Turning on my desktop, I checked my messages and found one from Sean about meeting up with me for some business. I scheduled him for as soon as possible and he agreed back immediately.

The meeting papers were already settled on my table and I'd already chugged down all the chilly. It was too damn good. Holly outdid herself again.

Just when I was about to drop my head on the table, I heard a woman voice yell something. I couldnt make of what was said but I had to go check if everything was alright. I checked the time and found it to be exact one.

Maybe that woman was here.

Already impressed by the timing.

I took strong strides towards the door and pulled it open with strength.

"Is everything alri-" I started but felt myself choking when I saw who stood in front of Candice. I could recognize in her in any lifetime. My body stood frozen and hers too. Her eyes raked over me and body though still small was shivering viciously. I couldnt believe it.

It wasnt possible. What the hell? No!

I walked out, very slowly, so as to not lose whatever was standing in front of me. I blinked what felt like a thousand times and felt warmth gather up in them.

"Who-Who are you?" I asked with fear rising in my chest.

"This is Selene Arly, Mr. Anderson." Candice spoke and I felt my heart weaken. I saw tears gather in her piercing blue eyes and her jaw wobbling. She couldnt move for the life in her. I felt shattered, broken, destroyed, any word that rhymed with the screaming in my brain.

"No." I murmured and she sucked in a wavering breath. Her eyes finally blinked but the tears went back in her eyes. Her knuckles were white, her hold was so strong on that binder. I bit my lip and looked at Candice. She had her brow raised in confusion.

I couldnt do this out here.

Her fear told me everything.

"My office. Just her." I spoke in my deep voice and marched back to my office. I was gonna slam the door shut but I kept my composure. My back faced them so I let the two large tears fall from my eyes before quickly wiping them and turning around, opening the door for her. Candice pointed for her to move to me and it took her two minutes to decide what to do. She looked from me to the elevator and I knew she was deciding whether to make a run for it. I clenched my jaw in rage and she started taking small steps to my office.

"Walk faster, honey." Candice tried speaking nicely. Selene definitely felt the push from it and soon, she was in my office. I closed the door behind her. She stood frozen, with eyes shut in front of me. Her head was bowed to her folder and I stood an inch away from her shoulder.

"Are you- are you really-" I tried asking anything that would come to my blinded mind.

Her shoulders bobbed and I realized she was crying. was it for me? The white-hot stabbing pain I was feeling? Or was it for herself? Saddened that she was facing me? That her long term run came to an end?

I waited a minute for an answer but nothing. When the patience ran out in me, I snatched the folder from her fingers and threw it across the room. She gasped and looked at me with a wet face. I took her shoulders in my fingers and forced her to look at me.

"I'm sorry." She finally spoke and I felt the long held breath release from me. I felt my nostrils flare as the tears ran down my cheeks.

She was alive.

Selene... was alive.

"I-" I released her and moved away. I pointed at all of her in disbelief.

"Jace, let me-"

"Stop talking." I stood still.

"Jace."

"Stop!" I raised a hand.

"Listen to me." She walked to me and held my hand. She squeezed it gently and I looked at the soft hands curling around my big one. I shut my eyes and felt my body go numb. There was a feeling I never thought would warm my skin again. Now, it only made the hair on my neck stand. I was spooked and mad at the same time.

"Jace!" She yelped while I fell to my knees.

"Listen to me. Look at me. Please."

"Why?" Was all I could muster, looking at her face. Her fingers were now holding my face up to match her eyes. Her striking blue eyes cried at me. They called for me and I felt another mixture of rage and sorrow rise in my head.

"Just compose yourself. Come on." She had my arm around her shoulder, surprisingly she was strong enough to get me to stand. She dragged me to the love seat and let me sit on it. Slowly pressing me down, she made me lay on it. I could feel everything turning around me like a dream.

"I'm gonna ask Candice for the doctor." She panted, running away but I reached out and caught something. She reversed and I saw her wrist in my hands. I watched as she sat beside me on the floor and placed something soft on my forehead. It was a kiss.

I cried more. I couldnt explain what was happening to me.

"Please dont cry. This doesnt suit my beautiful boy." She cried. Her words made her sob with intensity and I cried with her.

"He is- he's been nothing without you." I pulled out and she only sat on the floor, crying with me.

Selene:

He'd slept. I could see him snoring now. This was the first time. He didnt snore as a kid. I smiled, brushing his messy hair off his face. He looked calm and tired. His cheeks were red and stained with dry tears. His body was sprawled carelessly on the couch and I couldnt hold myself at his structure. I'd missed him..

"Oh, Jace." I hiccuped, running my fingers through his hair. Oh, his hair were still soft. I kissed his head and inhaled his scent. I was being creepy but it was Jace! My beautiful, epic Jace.

I looked around his office and felt myself grow in pride. He fulfilled his dreams. He made good choices and became successful in what he wanted. I stood and looked at the floor to ceiling window view. He always talked about getting one when we married and he could own a place with such stability. I was so proud of him.

I couldnt think of it enough.

A knock invaded my thoughts and I felt my breath unsettling again.

The door slowly slid open, revealing a small black hair head. The man looked around and then finally at me, halting my breath again. This time I needed to sit somewhere.

"Sel-Selene?" He gasped and my heart stopped for a second. My eyes drifted from an unconscious Jace to the thinner, finely dressed man, standing in the slightly parted door. He pulled off his slim black rimmed glasses and looked at me with his wide brown eyes. I recognized that face vaguely and I couldnt believe what was happening was actually becoming forth me.

"Ye-es?" Suddenly, I was unaware of what the English language was. He was well dressed in a light grey suit and white button up shirt. His Adam's apple bobbed in his throat as he took a step up towards where I was standing. I could only keep shivering. I didnt know what to say.

He pulled himself towards me with horrified eyes. The widening of them could break anyone. Softly, his body came to me and he stood half an arm's length away.

"S-Sean?" I whimpered. He nodded and looked like a child crying with a laughter.

"I knew it." He said brightly.

"What?" I furrowed my brows. He took my face in his hands and I held onto them. Oh, the familiarity of them took my heart away. I cried like a mortified human. I couldn't contain the many different woven feelings burning up in me. I felt a strong kiss pressing against my forehead and I felt sobs still erupting from him. I had never seen Sean cry. I was in shock, fear and joy.

"I knew it. I knew something wasnt right." He mumbled and I matched his broken wet eyes.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. He nodded and then shook his head. He seemed confused about what to do or say. I took one of his hands off my cheek and pressed a silent kiss on there.

"I missed you." He broke. His words felt like a lightening bolt splashing against my spine. I realized how I messed up the whole situation. I couldnt be in front of them. I had to run. I couldnt ruin their lives again.

My eyes drifted from imaginative thoughts to a waking up Jace. I saw him rubbing his temple and then his eyes. He seemed to be slowly raising himself up.

"Ja-Jace." I pointed at him and Sean looked from me to behind him. He walked to Jace and started helping him up. I cupped my mouth and held my breath.

What had I done to him?

Oh, God.

"He's okay." I heard Sean call out and I shook my head in panic before running out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Candice blocked my way. I ignored her and ran for the elevator. I didn't look back and jumped in through the sliding doors for my exit train out of this nightmare. The next few moments were a blur but all I remembered was running to the nearest cafe and asking Jelly for a ride away.

"So?" She asked when we were in a McDonalds almost thirty minutes worth of a ride away from Jace's building. She was chewing on her second Big Mac and I wondered where the weight went. I was still staring at my burger and the fries settled on the tray beside it.

"What happened?" She gulped the bite down with her drink.

"A blast from the past." I barely spoke out. My body was still shivering from the encounter earlier. I couldnt believe I saw him..he held me. It felt the same way, only a lot more stronger than the last time I felt his hands on me.

He was so beautiful.

Those dark rooted golden shot hair, sharp as a razor jaw with very light stubble printed on it. His thin nose and perfectly tall and well maintained body. And those eyes, his deep, brown eyes. They made me turn into jelly. I shut my eyes for a second, reminiscing the movements of his fingers on me. My fingers automatically drifted to the necklace hanging around my neck. I missed him.

I'd missed him so much. I hadn't realized that until he was so close to me. I'd snuck that kiss because I wanted to know if this was real.

"Um, in case you haven't noticed, I know shit about your past." Jelly broke me from my trance. She shoved a fist full of fries in her mouth and still looked beautiful doing it. 

"You see how I am twenty eight and finishing a degree with a twenty two years old you?" I pointed out and she nodded.

"Always found that odd." 

"Anyways, after high school, I sort of disappeared." I drank my coke, "And now just ran into someone from the past, today. Things got messy... and I ran." In anger and embarrassment, I sipped almost all of the large coke.

"Eeeesh, he works there?" She cocked her brow.

"How did you know its a guy?"

"That anger claw? I recognize it in my sleep." She winked and I groaned, releasing the cup fron my death grip.

"Actually, he's the CEO." I bit my lip.

She almost choked and dropped her burger back in the box. She gave me wide eyes and the red face.

"Oh my God, you're choking." I panicked and ran around to her. She waved for me to take my seat back across from her, while chugging on her drink.

"You know Jace Anderson?" She gasped, finally catching her breath.

"Oh, come on. He is not a superstar." I groaned.

"Have you seen how hot he is? Not to mention undoubtedly smart?" She started fangirling and I felt irritation seeping in, "I knew all that had a reason on this planet." She pointed at all of me.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I felt offense.

"You are hot. You had to end up with someone your level." She shrugged and I sagged into my chair.

"Jelly, I dont wanna talk about him." I turned my fingers into a beak to show her to quiet it down about him. She rolled her eyes in boredom and munched on her burger.

"What are you going to do now?" She finally started on her bucket of fries.

How much food did she get? Jesus.

"I'm just going to apologize to Mr. Carlos and find a new place." I inhaled a deep breath of decision.

"Wait, job or home?"

"Both if it gets to that." I sighed and she chuckled.

"Dude, you running from old love? Been there, done that." She offered me fries and I smacked my forehead with a grunt.

What now? My brain questioned.