the loft - j.b.

trente huit

cambria

justin was gone when i woke up but ryan was sitting in the kitchen eating my cereal. "excuse you?" i say, standing up, realizing i was naked but i really didn't care.

"wow, just flash it all." he mumbles. "justin and i passed each other on the way out-"

"he stayed overnight?" i question, finding my clothes.

"yeah." ryan nods. "he told me to tell you to come to his office when you get up."

"okay."

"so, what happened last night? did you two fuck?"

i look up and ryan was looking at me seriously. "why is it any of your business?"

"it's not, i just wanna know. im nosy."

"you're so nonchalant. you're asking too many questions and the fact you were sitting in here while i was sleeping is hella fucking weird so tell me why you're acting so suspect befo-"

"jesus, cambria, chill out." he mumbles. "i just felt really bad for karmen. i wasn't going to tell her anything but watching her prance around waiting for justin made me feel pathetic. and obviously justin didn't feel any type of way about me coming up here."

"you sat in the kitchen eating while i was sleeping."

"only because you have good cereal and not the healthy shit karmen does."

"you have your own house!" i exclaim. "do you like karmen or some shit, goddamnit?"

ryan went silent, me turning to him. he was washing out his bowl, as i was getting an outfit together. "don't go all silent, tell me."

"i-i like you." he stammers. "ever since you came to my house that day after everything went down and we spent time together. you're busy with justin and he's busy trying to break his marriage and he's in love with you so i just continued to keep it to myself. that's why i was hoping he didn't file the divorce."

my head was spinning, as i grabbed my things to get in the shower. "cam, please say something."

"ryan, i'd it was obvious i feel something for justin. i met his mom. if i was just a quick fuck to him he wouldn't have introduced me."

"so pattie likes you?" ryan says almost inaudibly. i nod, and he sighs. "pretend i never said anything, i'll be at home."

+

as fucking awkward as it is now knowing ryan has some type of feelings now, i tried not to let it distract me as i walked up to his office. certain people kept staring at me, probably because of the last time i was here.

"he's in his father's office." the secretary says, me walking next to her. "are you getting your job back?"

"i don't know, he called me here and said it was important." i shrug, and she just nods.

"can you give these to him? they're records of old and recent transactions his father has made." she hands me a folder full of papers. nodding, i take it and walk into the large double doors.

justin was sitting on the desk, staring at a large yellow envelope. "here's the transactions your dads made." i say, and he takes it and puts it on his table.

"this is the divorce papers. i thought they were coming next week." he looks at me. "how the hell am i gonna bring it up to karmen?"

"hand it to her. you're strong justin. you're the head of a company now, you're supposed to show no emotion even though you wear your heart on your sleeve." i walk up in front of him, fixing up his suit and tie. "you walk in there, hand it to her, and wait. if she asks why tell her, and if she doesn't agree to signing them, go on about your life. if she wants something, give it to her."

"it depends on what she wants, then i may need a lawyer."

justin pulls me closer to him, kissing me. he smiles, then looks at the dress i have on. "that's too much cleavage, i want that to myself."

"justin, shut up." i laugh, turning away from him. i look out the window, to see a balcony not too far. "why don't you replace this window wall with an actual  wooden wall? people could be watching you."

"it doesn't bother me." he shrugs. "it might at one point but not yet."

i just nod. "so are you going to do it today?"

he nods, "whatever happens, just know im doing it for you."

i saw him walking toward me, then i shake my head. "no kisses, there could be someone watching us." i point to the large window wall, and he pouts.

"wait, no, don't leave. this isn't what i called you here for, this was just here when i got here." he stops me. "do you want a job here?"

"i want to go back to college, or something. i want to get my degree in law." i pout. "i haven't started looking yet, but-"

"i'll help you. anything to get my mind off of this business deal in england. since its in another continent, it's way more complicated."

"why england? what the hell are you making there?" i ask, sitting down on the chair. i open the computer and he types his password and let's me do my thing.

"a lot of people visit there. it's the same with california, that's why we put a hotel over there. we're putting one in england and in florida, although we might end up selling the one in england because im not visiting every month."

i just laugh at his laziness, as i continuing looking at colleges that qualified me. "why is college so expensive?" i pout.

"didn't you get accepted to harvard? why didn't you go?"  he questions, leaning next to me.

"stop looking at my personal information it's weird." i laugh. "but my mom didn't want me to go. although im smart she didn't want me to go there for segregation reasons. she's very pro-black, and there was a bigger percentage of white people then any other race and she didn't like it. especially because she wouldn't be around."

he nods, "i understand why she'd do that. but you're smart so you can get accepted into any college. and you worked for two of the biggest businesses in canada, and you still work for the most successful one."

"nice." i laugh, seeing as how he slyly just hired me again. "being an assistant isn't helpful."

"secretary is the right word. you do more work than most of the people here with offices."

i roll my eyes. then karmen walks in, me grabbing the yellow envelope, and putting it in my purse as if it was mine. "what's wrong?" justin asks looking up from the computer and to karmen.

"you didn't come home last night. i was worried sick, okay. and you didn't answer your phone."

"my phones been dead, and still is." he picks it up, holding the power button the dead battery popping up. "i was visiting my mom and the kids."

"the kids?"

"jazzy and jaxon came along. they didn't want to see dad in the hospital though so they stayed home." justin continues lying slyly. i didn't listen to their conversation because i saw that i qualified for brown university in rhode island.

"i'll see you at home."

i saw karmen go for a kiss but justin turned around asking me did i find anything yet. karmen walks out sighing, me feeling hella bad but the things she's said to me kept resurfacing to my thoughts.

----

if cambria leaves canada oh god