Ambivalent

Chapter 18: Winter

I don’t have energy to argue with this man. Even if I have, I don’t want to waste it on him. I felt his gaze burning down hole on me as he stood and stared down at me. Seconds after he was satisfied with his staring me down session,  and thumped back to his cabin. I slumped back on my desk once he was out of sight. He is not good for my heart. Soon I will be suffering from tachycardia.

As night drew, we went to the restaurant,  and Mr. Taylor was already there, waiting for us. He and Theodore talked of business on drinks. Through the conversation, I came to know that he is the first man to recognize the talent within Theodore and was also first one to invest in his start-up. For now he is here for his wife’s treatment and meanwhile came to talk business.
When he described his wife, one can clearly see the madness and love he harbours for her.
I looked back at Theodore, will he ever be able to move on. I think, once I get marry, and things get implanted in his brain, he will able to think clearly about his future. But, will he be able to fall  in love again like he fell for me? Moreover, will I be happy for the girl and Theo?
I exhaled loudly thinking these are things to be taken care of in future. But my action caught Mr. Taylor’s attention and he looked at my direction.

“Lady beside you is?”

I straightened to answer him but before I could, Theodore did that on my behalf.

“My secretary, Winter Anderson.”

He nodded his head and his eyes ping ponged in between me and Theodore. Smiling he looked back at Theodore.

“Nothing more than that?”

My eyes bulged out exceeding the brim of the orbit. Whatever this man is, he is good at reading the tension clouding over our heads.

“No sir.”

Theo smiled for the first time in the evening.
Mr. Taylor turned to me.

“Sorry Winter, I thought something unusual.”

I returned his polite smile but soon it saturated, listening to what Theodore said next.

“Not a chance Sir, I don’t date gold diggers and cheaters.”

I stilled and so did man in front of me. He cleared his throat and soon returned to his work. For rest of the evening a lump got stuck on my throat. I was in a state where if someone will poke me even for once, I would burst in to tears.

I never knew, this amount of poison is running in Theodore’s veins instead of blood, where he is even ready to insult me in front of others.
Once dinner was over, we bid farewell to Mr. Taylor and I was about to walk off when he called me from back.

“Where are you going?”

With a slight quiver in my voice, I replied him.

“I am off duty.”

“Drive me home, I am drunk.”

He threw keys in my direction and walked off, which I immediately caught.

“You didn’t even had half a glass of it.”

Ignoring me, he kept his march on.   Sighing I followed him and took the charge of driving.
Throughout the way, I kept on repeating same mantra in my head.

‘You can get over with this Winter. Just hold a little longer.’

Soon, Theodore’s voice tore the silence surrounding us.

“All these years, didn’t you missed me even once?”

I sniffed, refusing to reply him. His gaze lingered on me for a bit longer before he turned his gaze again out of the window. I stopped my car at the front of his gate.

“You can go from here.”

He held my hand, when I was about to get off the car.

“It’s late, stay for the night.”

He looked at me with eyes holding emotions as enormous as sea. Even I found myself drowning at those depth. But soon my mind went back to the time, when he insulted me in front of his investor.
Holding my self respect, I dived back to the surface and got my hand free from his clutch.

“No, it’s fine. We are in Austin. Here nights are young and safe.”

Sighing, he let his head fall back.

“Fine. Help me get in. Then you can leave.”

I didn’t spoke another word. Driving in, I parked his car where instructed and supported his very much conscious ass acting all drunk, in.

“I will be taking my leave. Thank you Sir.”

“Don’t you want to see the nest I made after so much of hard work.”

“Next time I will do that.”

I wanted to get out of this place. It’s suffocating me. His proximity, his presence, even his mere look was enough to make me scarce of oxygen.
Smiling he turned back to rack where all bottles piled up.

“Why? I am not same Winter. Look around, I am not someone I was, the poor brat I was.”

And I lost my sanity.

“Enough Theodore. What wrong have I done to deserve this constant torture?”

I huffed and cried out loud, screaming like some mad woman on the top of my lungs.

“Do you even know why I left you? What circumstances I was under?”

This caught Theodore’s attention. The mischievousness his eyes held was nowhere to be found. And immediately I knew, on fit of anger, I have something wrong. Theo is not going to leave unless he reaches the end of other side.

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~Galen_Yana...♡