Unedited!
***
"I'm gonna make damn sure that you can't ever leave
No, you won't ever get too far from me
You won't ever get too far from me..."
- Taking Back Sunday "MakeDamnSure"
***
My steps were slow and steady, but nevertheless I was making my way — gradually — to Colton’s office after he ordered Chey to send me back to his office. While I was going to adhere to what he wanted, that didn’t make me hurry to his office any faster. In fact, I was taking my sweet ol’ time.
There was something inside of me, clearly, that didn’t want to see Colton. I truly felt like this, my situation, was all his fault and because of that I didn’t want to be around him. However, that thought was always pushed to the side as I realized the events that led me here were all because of the choices I made — not him.
Still, blaming him was easy. It was easy to say that everything that’s happened to me over the course of the past two years were because of Colton. But, at the same time, blaming him is the hardest thing to do because it’s not the truth. It’s a lie I’ve fabricated to make myself feel better. I’ve humored myself with the fact that I’m stuck as, practically, a slave to Mr. Sharp is to nobody’s fault but Colton - the guy who abandoned me.
Abandon ... Guess that is another lie I allow to linger in my thoughts. Did he truly abandon me? Is sacrificing a life long friendship for the other person to live a life without you, for once, really abandonment?
Whether it was or wasn’t didn’t matter, it felt like it. It felt like Colton left me to the harsh world that he once sheltered me from. Without him, I was vulnerable and easy to be swayed. People played off that...
Maybe, I should blame those people. The people that tricked me, that lied and that paved the green mile I’m walking on now.
Shaking my head as I reached Colton’s door I paused.
No, I couldn’t blame them for it was just easier, somehow, to force all the blame on Colton...
“You wanted to see me?” I asked as I walked into his office and closed the door. Facing Colton, I waited for him to answer me. Yet, he didn’t right off the bat as his attention was solely focused on his computer screen.
Colton, after a minute, looked up at me and blinked. “Yes,” He stated and then closed his laptop after a few clicks with his mouse pad. “I have a meeting in ten minutes.”
I started to think of what he wanted me for, “Do you need me to sit in with you?” I question, with slight hope that I could see what a gang meeting would look like.
“No. I need you to stay in here,” He exclaimed as he got up and grabbed a few folders that were on his desk. Walking around, he looked at me with a stern look, “Don’t leave.”
“What? Why?” I inquired feeling as if I was excluded from this for a reason I yet to see.
“Because, I said so.”
I rolled my eyes at him, “Colton-”
“Don’t say my name here,” Colton hissed with an angered expression. It was clear as daylight that he was mad that I spoke his real name.
Feeling guilty, I quickly apologized.
“Don’t make the same mistake twice,” He said in a calmer voice before walking up to me. “All I ever do is for your safety, Allison. So, please, stay in this room. Don’t leave. Chey, should bring you lunch in an hour or so. Everyone else knows not to come in here, so no one will bother you. I’ll be back in two hours, max.”
His tone was one that I was very familiar, it was the kind he used when he was dead serious and wanted no back talk. It was the kind that left no wiggle room for argument.
“Got it?” He questioned.
I nodded, “Yeah ... got it.”
Colton looked me over once as if just by looking at me he could ground me to the room. Sighing, shook his head, “Don’t make me not trust you anymore than I already do, Allison.” With that being said Colton walked out of the room.
I stood there frozen in spot for his look didn’t ground me to the room but instead his words.
He didn’t trust me.
Just knowing that made me feel — hurt.
Tears brimmed at my tear duct.
“He doesn’t trust me? ... Me?” My whole body started to grow hot with anger. My glossy eyes scanned over the room.
Looking at his desk, I felt the urge to run over there and knock everything off.
With all my heart I wanted to destroy everything in his office.
I wanted to take a pair of scissors and cut up the fabric of his desk chair.
The papers on his desk, I wanted to throw across the room before taking his laptop and smashing it into a million pieces by throwing it on the ground with force, several times.
The scissors that I used to rip up his desk chair, I would use to do the same to the other two chairs that were placed in front of his desk.
After that I would do the same to the leather couch that rested in front of his window wall.
I would smash the glass bowl that laid on the glass table in front of the couch. My actions would be followed by breaking and shattering the table the bowl previously sat on.
Lastly, I would rip apart every single book he had in the book shelf on the wall by his door.
When done, I’d sit down on the ripped up couch and lean back with a smile of satisfaction as I glanced around his ruined office.
However, I knew that would be immature.
I chuckled to myself, "Immaturity, more like revenge.”
Without blinking, I started to take my anger out on Colton’s office.
Everything I destroyed in his office made me feel a little, by little, better. All my pent up anger — of him coming back in my life, being mad at me, not trusting me, holding me captive, making me live in a basement, and so much more, was slowly leaving. Honestly, it felt good it let it all go...
Smiling, I picked up the glass bowl and lifted it up above my head, I was about to send it crashing to the floor when the door to the office opened up.
My eyes locked with a pair of brown orbs. The eyes shifted away from my gaze and up at the bowl that I was holding up in the air. Finally, the brown eyes danced around the room, “Is this Mr. Sharp’s office?” The guy asked with a smile planted on his face.
I threw the glass bowl on the ground and was surprised when the guy didn’t even flinch at my actions. “Was his office. I’m remodeling it,” I joked, much to myself.
However the guy, who was now leaning on the door post, chuckled as if he got the joke too. “Great job ... but you forgot to remodel his bookcase,” He said as he walked in and look over at the untouched bookshelf.
“That was next,” I replied.
Looking back over at me, the guy gave me a grin — showing he was amused by me and my actions. “I’m sure it was.”
“... Who are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“The name is Garrett - Garrett McCarter.”
The young man, who looked only a few years older than me introduced himself with a confident smirk.
I couldn’t breath for a second, for I knew exact who he was now. “You have a meeting with Mr. Sharp, don’t you?” I question, knowing this was what Colton was hiding.
“Yes, I’m afraid I do,” He said with humor laced in his voice.
“Vi-Visitors aren’t allowed on this floor.”
Garrett kept his smile on his face as he replied, “I’m a friend of Mr. Sharp’s. He allows me on this floor.”
I knew this was far from the truth.
A second later Garrett tilted his head, “Say, have we met before? You just, all the sudden, look really familiar.”
I couldn’t breath, I couldn’t move a muscle. “N-No, I’ve never s-seen you before.” Fear started to ice up in my veins and I tried to forget all the memories that were springing to my mind.
“No, I think I’ve seen you before...” His expression said it all: he was thinking back, trying to remember me. Suddenly, realization flashed in Garrett’s eyes. Running a hand through his blond locks, Garrett chuckled. “Wow, I’ve never that I’d see you in a place like this.”
My heart started to pound in my chest. “Please - Please, don’t ... don’t say anything...” I pleaded.
Garrett, who had his hands shoved in the front pocket of his black suit, nodded. “I’m not a person to go around breaking people’s careers because of their past — your secret is safe with me: Florence.”
The name he called me was like nail on a chalkboard, it brought out annoyance and a bundle of memories I keep buried away from my conscious mind.
“What that hell are you doing in here?” Someone said from the doorway.
I look over to see Colton standing there with an outraged expression.
“Mr. Sharp, I’m presuming,” Garrett remarked.
His words exposed the lie that he was friends with Colton. However, I didn’t comment for I was deathly afraid that, somehow, if I spoke up things would end up leading to my past and the fact that I know Garrett from a place I’ve tried to forget.
“Yes and you're Garrett McCarter, the man that was informed to go to the conference room, not my private office.”
Garrett smiled, even though he was caught red handed. “My sincere apologizes, I’ve never been one to listen.” Looking back over at me, Garrett gave a wink, “See you around...” He paused, clearly wanting my name.
“Allison. Allison Sn-”
“You’re no longer welcomed, Garrett. Get out of here,” Colton informed him in a voice that leaked with authority.
“Okay, okay,” Garrett stated as he put his hands in the air, a surrendering gesture. “What about the meeting?”
“We’ll reschedule it,” Colton spoke before looking over at me. His gazed lingered on me briefly before he turned his attention back to Garrett, who was about to walk out the door and pass Colton.
Right when Garrett got around Colton he looked back at me, “What time do you get off, Allison? I’d love to take you to dinner,” Garrett randomly said.
Colton whipped around and I knew, without looking, Colton was giving Garrett a look that would kill someone in place.
Garrett just smiled at Colton before muttering a ‘next time’ and walking away.
“Do you have any idea who that was?” Colton asked as he came in and closed his office door.
“Garrett McCarter, or at least that is the name he goes by. He is the leader of the Rondevu gang, which is based outside of New Orleans. He is the leader of one of the top five largest gangs in America. Soon to be exporting in other countries, making his gang global and more powerful ... Yeah, I know a little bit about him...”
Colton looked shocked at first but composed himself. Suddenly, as if he was just noticing it, Colton looked around his office to see the damage I’d caused.
“Would you believe me if I said Garrett did all this?” I asked, hoping to lighten the outraged mood I knew was coming.
Locking eyes with me, Colton sighed. “I’m sorry."
The words that rolled off his tongue took me by surprise, I was in no way shape or form expecting Colton to say that. “You’re sorry? For what?” I wondered, knowing it was once in a blue moon that Colton was sorry, so he had to have done something big to be apologizing.
Colton stepped towards me and when he reached me, he placed his right hand on my left cheek. “I trust you, Alice.”
His words made me want to cry. Cry because I was not only happy to hear that and overcome with joy but also cry because I acted a total bitch and ruined his office - and here he is humbling himself enough to say he was sorry.
“I forgive you ... if you can forgive me,” I bartered.
“Deal...”
“But, please note, I don’t forgive you the other things you’ve done ... I mean, I forgive you for saying you don’t trust me and ... I now know, I forgive you for ending our friendship two years ago ... but, I don’t forgive you for this: keeping me hostage, practically, and leaving me with no option but to work with you.
"I get it though," I added, "This is the best deal I could be offered for my crimes. This is my punishment and I know you are doing your job and that I shouldn’t be mad at you or blame you ... but as much as this has to do with business, it has to do with our personal lives.
"You are Colton and Mr. Sharp, but choosing Mr. Sharp over the Colton: the one I know and love, I won’t forgive you. I can never see myself forgiving you for choosing business over me - as selfish, bitchy and inconsiderate as that sounds ... but I’m human and I want to be loved, Colton, by someone who puts me first-”
“All I’ve ever done, Allison, is put you first!” Colton said in outrage as he dropped his hand and stepped away from me.
I wanted to argue and get mad, but all my anger had been left in the ripped fabric of his chairs and couch, in the shattered glass that littered his floor and in the papers that were scattered around his room. I’d no anger to give at the moment.
“If you say so,” I mumbled.
Colton sighed, knowing he did not convince me with nine simple words. In fact, if he did anything he reminded me that his words were hollow.
“Allison, I mean it. You mean the world to me. Every decision I’ve made since you were born and I was ten as been calculated to best benefit you-”
“Well, now I’m eighteen and your twenty-eight and we’re no longer friends. So you no longer have to make your choices based off me. You are free,” unlike me, I wanted to say but held it in because I knew my tone implied it. “You are free to be the man you want to be: Mr. Sharp.”
Silence blanketed the room and Colton refused to reply to me and my statement. Whereas I had nothing more to say.
Standing there, I wondered when I will ever be free... “How long do I have to work for you?” I questioned.
Colton didn’t reply at first, he was thinking. However, his reply came swiftly after he thought for a minute. “Forever, Allison.”
My heart dropped to my knees as his words sunk in. “Forever? ... that’s-”
“Get over it, you did your crime now you’re doing the time. Speaking of time, it's time you get back to work. Go, make yourself useful,” Colton demanded as he went over to his desk. He looked over the desk and gave a deep frown. “Where’s my computer?”
I pointed, hesitantly, to the ground.
Colton looked down before gazing back up at me. “You damn fool! You can expect no reward this week. In fact something is going to be taken away from you.”
“Taken away from me?! What are you going to take away, my bed? The only thing I have?!” My anger had returned.
“Either that or I can arrange for your father to get fired from his work, making your mother pick up extra shift at the hospital while your dad searches aimlessly for another job.”
He’d hit below the belt, “You wouldn’t.”
“I’m Mr. Sharp, Ms. Snow, I’ll do anything. Don’t test me.”
“Go to hell.”
“Already there, Ms. Snow.”
I flipped Colton off before storming out of the office.
<><><>
A/N:
I know things between Garrett and Allison may not make sense, but don't worry - you'll figure everything out before the end of the book (;
Hope everyone is having a great week!
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