Is This True Love? (DNF)

Chapter 45: Back to Work

George POV.

“How are you feeling George? After everything that happened between you and your boyfriend.” My boss said, leaning against my desk as I got settled in.
“Oh… I’m feeling better now.” I responded, glancing meekly up at her. “Being able to stay at Niki’s with her and her cousin was good, they’ve been helping me get over it.”

“It’s a shame, truthfully.” She said, voice solemn. “I had quite liked Fundy when I had met him at the yearly office barbeques.” Her gaze drifted around my desk, looking over the clutter of paper which I had left for days, mixed in with my personal belongings. I didn’t say anything, continuing to allow her to look the entire time.

“You don’t have any photos of him.” She observed. “You haven’t for a while.” For a few moments she hesitated before adding on. “Did you suspect him of cheating for a while?” I hadn’t realised it was that obvious. I had thought that my secret regrets about my boyfriend were secret, but it seems apparent that they were not.

“Yes. I was thinking of it, but there were also some other reasons.” I lied. She seemed to believe it though, continuing to nod solemnly at me.
“Well if you need to talk or would like the afternoon off, then just let me know. I have dealt with these kinds of break ups in the past.”

“Thank you.” I responded, subtly moving my chair further away from her as part of a sign that I wanted to stop this conversation. “I should probably get started on work. I’m already a week behind on work, so I’ll likely have to pull over time for a few days to make up for it.”

She merely nodded in understanding, saying that she hoped that I’d have a good day before she walked off. Other employees had also muttered similar things about Fundy to me, but most of them I never talked with, it just annoyed me that my boss had been the one to comment about it, shouldn’t she know it was personal.

I opened my laptop which I had brought with me, the surface completely cold after a week of not being used. Not actually being in the mood to deal with anyone else. It felt as though the whole world was watching me as I sat there, slowly letting my computer wake itself from the weeklong mechanical coma. While I sat there I attempted to glance over papers to look busy.

My mind was crazy, running laps around and around inside of my head. All that I could think about was Fundy cheating on me, Clay being there to comfort me, and the idea of being able to leave the island for the first time in my entire life.

Now that the idea was in my mind I didn’t think I’d be able to lose it. It had drilled itself into my mind, nestling between the crevices of one thought and another. The murmur from the rest of the office blurred together to a low hum. I found myself just staring at the screen, unable to bring myself to move.

Nobody seemed to notice though, they didn’t react at all. I was unsure as to why none of them ended up reacting and it weirded me out, yet I pushed those fears and the weirdness to the back of my mind as I continued to stare.

Jimmy POV.

My eyes narrowed, watching the screen. Seeing George like this, sitting there blandly as though he was in mental anguish, or something like that. It hurt to see. George was like a brother to me, I was raised alongside him and the two of us were intertwined in one another's lives, even if he was unaware of it.

He was staring at the screen which had loaded in a few minutes ago. I wanted to make sure he was okay, gaze drifting over the screens showing a dozen different angels around the room. Lots of the other cast had noticed this as well, glancing over at the brunette instead of doing work on their own computers.

George’s boss lurked behind him, the actress Alena something, she had noticed his behaviour as well, although she wasn’t acting. I connected myself to her mic. “Do you want to check on him?” I asked, my voice soft. Her gaze shifted, a sign of hearing me and without giving me a sign she had heard she began walking towards the brunette.

“George?” She questioned, and the cameras on screen toggled, shifting from one nestled in a light on the far side of the room. Now it was one at desk level, embedded in the partition between his desk and the one on his left.

He briefly glanced over at the woman who stood behind him before staring back at the screen. “Are you feeling alright? You’ve been staring at nothing for a few minutes.”
“Oh… I have?” The brunette was shocked. “I hadn’t noticed. I had thought that… I didn’t know that it had finished loading.”

My brows furrowed and I leaned closer to the screen, taking in the interaction. “It finished loading about ten minutes ago.”
“Right… so I should probably get- erm started. Stuff to code and all.”

“Tell him not to.” I instructed. “Send him home. He clearly isn’t ready to be working. I’ll contact Clay and tell him there was a change of plans.” I was half paying attention to their conversation while also trying to find a way to communicate with Clay, who was still off somewhere with Sapnap at my insistence.

“Are you sure that you are ready to be working?” The woman asked. “You’ve seemed very distracted. I’m not sure if you are truly over your breakup.” I patched into Clay and Sapnap’s headpieces, so that both of them would hear, and if the blond had taken his earpiece out again at least one person would hear.

“I am fine to work.” George responded as I began talking to Clay and Sapnap.
“Would you two be able to start heading back to George’s work?” I asked. “He isn’t up to working today and so he’s being sent home.”
“You don’t seem to be. Maybe you should go home. Don’t worry about finishing anything.”

“Is he okay?” Clay was quick to ask. I also heard Sapnap grumbling about something, however I wasn’t sure what he had said.
“George is fine, come pick him up.”
“We’ve already contacted Niki’s cousin to come and get you.” The woman stated.

I looked back at the screen as Alena managed to convince George out of his chair and over towards the staff room. “You can sit in here, and I’ll make you some soup. Your ride will be here soon.”
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1162 words

Did anyone notice something that could potentially expose everything to George? Try and find it and comment here what it might be. If you wish.