Out of the Shadows ✔️ [Completed] [Book One]

Chapter 29

I wake up shaking from my nightmare in the early hours and instinctively reach for Daniel. He's not there of course and a pang of sadness wraps around my heart. It surprises me how quickly I have become used to him sleeping beside me and I feel his absence and the emptiness already. I wish I could watch the steady rise and fall of his chest next to me to show me that everything is going to be OK.

I realise that I've never had my nightmare when I have slept next to him – he really is my talisman. This is going to be harder than I thought. I need to pull myself together and get used to it because there is no other way around it. Daniel has his career and I have mine, so I am just going to have to suck up the pain and prove to myself that we can do this.  I run for around an hour to clear my head, shower and then make my way to work.

The usual buzz of the office eases me back into real life after my eventful week away. I pick up a bagel and a cup of tea and for once in my life I'm happy to see a pile of work on my desk. My personal assistant talks me through my diary and I'm pleased to see that I have two meetings with new clients today. As I also have a backlog of work from last week to deal with, I luckily don't have time to stop.

I look at my phone and see a message from Daniel.

Sorry not been in touch, been on set since early hours. Hope you're first day back is going OK. I'll be in touch when I can. D x

I understand how busy he is, but my heart still skips a beat when I receive another text from him while the phone is still in my hand.

God, I'm missing you Lizzie. X

I respond immediately.

It's going well, busy! Hope filming is going ok, can't wait to hear all about it. I'm missing you too Daniel. We can do this though, we can make it work. L xxx

I still think of him every second, but I feel like there is now a calmness within my chest. I analyse this feeling for a little while I drink a cup of tea and genuinely believe that we we can make this work.

I go out to lunch with Helen and fill her in on everything that has happened this last week. She seems so happy for me, it makes my heart swell to know how much she cares for me. I tell her what happened with Charlie and she just nods.

"I can't believe you couldn't see it my darling. Everyone around you could see how he felt. It doesn't surprise me that he's told you, but shame on him for how he has behaved. He's really let himself down."

In the afternoon I receive a message from Caroline on our group to let me know she will be back from Italy later this afternoon, so we arrange to meet tomorrow after work for a well needed catch up. Surprisingly, Sarah messages to say that she is still away with Andy. Apparently, they have decided to go to the airport this morning and see where they could fly to and now they are in Berlin. It's just so typical of Sarah to do something like this on the spur of the moment and I'm ecstatic that she has finally found someone who is on the same page as her. I message Sarah to have a lovely time and we arrange to meet up as soon as she is back.

At the end of the day I watch through the glass walls of my office as a huge bouquet of flowers is delivered to reception. I smile, but think nothing more of it and continue with my work. A few minutes later the receptionist knocks my door holding the flowers with a massive smile on her face.

"These are for you Lizzie. I asked the delivery man, but there is no card or message unfortunately. I'm guessing whoever sent them wants to remain anonymous." She winks at me when she places them down on my wooden filing cabinet and it's clear from her expression that she thinks they are from Daniel. I smile too, but I'm puzzled why there isn't a card because I don't think Daniel would care if everyone knew they were from him.