Errand Girl

Chapter 42

A.C.

There's absolute silence on the other end. He must be reeling from the shock I've just given him. Smiling at myself for my display of unusual bravery, I hang up; whatever happens next is in Edward's hands. It's a little nerve racking to think about the physical confrontation that'll follow from both our confessions, but it has to be done.

Shutting the door behind me as I arrive at the apartment, I head for the kitchen and grin at my brother's curious expression.

"Do I want to know?" he asked.

"Know what?" I returned evasively.

"Stop being coy, Brie."

"I'm not being coy, what do you think I have to say?"

"I can think of plenty of things." 

Scoffing at the skepticism thrown at me, I try to shuffle away from him and the incredibly large knife in his hand. Did I really keep knives that big? Biting my bottom lip out of concern for my own safety, I enter my bedroom to find Maggie blow-drying her hair and Jackson frantically scribbling notes on a torn sticky note.

Seeing me enter, she shuts off the blow dryer. "Did you catch up with Edward?"

"Uh, no I didn't." My eyes roam everywhere, refusing to look her directly in the face. It feels like the first time I confessed to ever liking someone. 

I can still recall a boy who was five years older, who only took notice of me because he thought of me as a younger sister, someone who needed guidance; the travesty of it left me with a broken heart for a week. Fourteen is such a delicate and awkward stage, one I never wanted to relive but the giddiness bubbling inside of me is dying to burst through.

I'm morbidly terrified of what will happen next. This is something I've repeatedly told myself should never happen. Out of all the men in the entire world, my heart pins itself on Edward Bradford. Shaking my head at this, I slide back into bed with a mind as hyper active as a ten year old, hugging a pillow tight.

Our set of mind games will either increase or cease to exist, but I can only smile at the mere thought of finally being honest - yes, honest. I've denied honesty on so many occasions, denied it even when someone tried to knock some sense into me. How Edward's even coped and remained unwavering while I've been dense is beyond my imagination. I would have given up on myself, a long time ago.

"Earth to Aubrey, earth to Ms. Clement!" Fingers snap repeatedly in front of my face and it takes a few moments for my mind to come down from its cloud of wonderings.

 "What?"

"I asked if you were feeling better?"

"I feel..." Just as I'm about to say 'fine' a spasm of stomach pains hits me square in the gut. Cursing at my abdominal area, my eyes shift back to Maggie and I merely nod lightly. "Yes and no, the fever's gone but the pain's still unbearable."

"Well drink plenty of herbal tea and stay in bed."

"You're leaving?" I asked dejectedly, watching her grab her handbag.

"I have to go into work, apparently Cindy got her nails done. They're so long, it's preventing her from typing up the guest list for an elite social coming up."

Bewildered, my eyes widen but a more real and cynical part of me isn't even surprised. "Seriously? How has that woman not been fired yet?"

"When you find the answer to that, then all the mysterious of the universe will begin to unravel," Maggie said through a pained smile.

"Or pigs will fly, I added bitterly.

"Yes, or that."

"I'm so sorry Maggie, you must cry every night having to work under her."