Discovering Truths by B. Benfield (book series to read .TXT) 📗

the door. I dragged myself to the shower and started the water, hopeful it would help my headache.

Fifteen minutes later, my shower was complete, and my aching head was on the mend. I dried my hair then picked up my phone to glance at the clock and see how much time I had before I had to leave. A message notification awaited me.

 

Gage: Good morning, beautiful. Sleep well?

Me: I did, but a little too hard. I have a headache now.

Gage: Oh no, hope it gets better. Can I see you today? I understand if it’s too much, but I still have some time on the room.

I wanted this with Gage. I pushed all my doubts aside. My feelings for him were too strong. It wasn’t something I could give up on. Marcus didn’t feel bad for it, why should I?

Me: Today should be fine. I won’t have as much time as I did yesterday, though. I’ll text you when I get on lunch.

Gage: Sounds good. Have a good day, babe.

Me: You too.

 

Going into work, I was in a great mood. I brushed away all the negative thoughts that tended to creep in on me. I was living my life the way I wanted. I’d finally found a sense of happiness. I wasn’t going to let doubt ruin it.

I was busy all morning and it was nearing twelve o’ clock when Mike approached me.

“Did you have any lunch plans today? I totally forgot that I have another lunch meeting this afternoon. If you could be there to take notes that would help me a ton.”

Crap. I was supposed to meet Gage at lunch. Did I tell my boss that yes, I did have plans, or did I cancel on Gage?

There was no way I was slacking at my new job. My job was Mike’s assistant; I needed to be there for whatever he asked.

“That will be fine. Let me know when you’re ready to go.”

“Thanks again, Abby.”

Me: Boss just asked me to go to a lunch meeting with him. He needs me to take notes. I’m sorry…

Gage: Backing out? Second thoughts?

Me: Definitely not. Trust me, I can’t wait until I can see you again, but I couldn’t tell him no. I’d like to keep my job lol.

Gage: It’s okay, I get it. It’s kind of busy here today anyway. I should probably skip lunch.

Me: I’m so sorry.

Gage: It’s okay, babe, trust me.

Me: Okay…talk soon?

Gage: Of course.

He threw in a kissy face emoji and that made me feel a little better. I really hoped he didn’t think I was making excuses. I couldn’t wait to feel him again, that was the truth.

***

You’d think that riding in a car with someone you’d only been working with for a few days would be weird, but it wasn’t at all. Mike was absolutely hilarious. Older, but full of wisdom and jokes. When he wasn’t making me laugh, we talked about my goals and hopes for my future within the company. I thought if I stayed on his good side, maybe I’d get somewhere.

The meeting was very formal though, and to be honest, I was slightly intimidated. I had a salad for lunch then listened intently as I tried to make all the notes that were pertinent to our department. When we got back in the car, Mike could tell I was overwhelmed.

“You did well.” He said.

“You don’t know that,” I replied. “You haven’t seen my notes yet.”

He burst into laughter. “I’m sure you covered everything important.”

“I sure hope so.” I smiled.

“You’re doing great, Abby. I have high hopes for you.”

At least someone did. My life was such a cluster I wasn’t sure what to hope for anymore. As long as I made it through each day, I was winning.

The meeting was stressful and now, I couldn’t wait for this day to be over. I genuinely enjoyed my job, but if I wanted to move up, I needed to step up my game.

Once back at my desk, I pulled out my phone to check my messages before I slid it into my desk drawer. I didn’t want to bother Gage, but I always hoped there was something from him. Luckily this time, there was.

I opened the message and was greeted by a selfie of him, covered in oil and grease. Underneath it he wrote: When you have to get your hands dirty.

Me: Still sexy…whew.

Gage: How was the meeting?

Me: It was good. My boss is pretty awesome.

Gage: Replacing me already?

Me: Ew, really? He’s like…in his fifties. Total dad, maybe even grandpa vibes.

Gage: Just making sure.

Me: You’re silly.

 

***

 

I was on my way to Yoga that evening when my phone started ringing through the Bluetooth speakers in my car. A number that I didn’t recognize flashed across the screen. I normally didn’t answer numbers I didn’t know, but the area code was the same as mine, so I assumed it was safe.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Hi. Mrs. West?”

“This is she…” I said hesitantly.

“Hey. This is Katie. I work with Marcus.” She said nervously.

My body stiffened. Why in the world is she calling me? Instinctively, my guard went up, but her tone worried me.

“Is everything okay?”

“We’re at the hospital, actually. He was having severe chest pains. Todd and I brought him here because he was starting to make us nervous. We thought he might be having a heart attack.”

“I’m on my way.” I said.

I whipped the car around and flew down the highway. I might’ve not liked my husband very much, but I still didn’t wish anything bad on his health. I rushed through the hospital doors, stopped at the front desk to retrieve his room number, then headed for the elevator.