❝And maybe I'm not up for being a victim of love
When all my resistance will never be distance enough.❞

Chapter Ten:
Post-Magnificent-Sex
(cont'd)

"Tris?"

A tap on my glass door alerted me that I had a visitor. I looked up in relief to see that it was just Jaden, my posture visibly relaxing. I nodded to let him know that he could enter and he did so, a little hesitantly. It wasn't the first time for Jaden to enter my office but with the thick cloud of misery lingering above my head, I could see why he was being cautious.

It had been a week since my little discovery in Hans' bedroom, a week of putting up with his relentless calls and texts, emails and not to mention the dozens of flower bouquets he had sent to my place with apology notes attached. I ignored him, and returned each and every gift he sent my way. I wasn't just pissed. I was furious. There's nothing in this world that can't be fixed. But some things once broken, stay broken forever. That included trust.

Although I hadn't said a word of the truth to anyone else apart from Helena, it was tearing me apart inside every time I was put on the receiving ends of a questioning look from the others at the office. It wasn't long before everyone else had figured things out themselves; that the powerful Hans-Tris duo had broken up due to a major scuffle. I wish I could say it had done some good and gotten Tim to start acknowledging me again but he only continued to avoid me like I was empty air. I don't know what was worse - having my trust crushed again by a man I had started to love, or seeing that my very actions of doing so had sabotaged a great friendship with another.

Snapping myself out of my thoughts, I shut the open file in front of me and rested my elbows on the table, leaning forward with a small smile on my face.

"Anything I can help you with Jaden?"

He walked over, slow in his steps, and plopped down on the vacant chair in front of my desk. I could see that he looked a little more jittery around me than usual as he started to speak, the tentativeness in his voice evident.

"Everyone's going out for drinks later tonight and, well...Frannie sent me over to check if you're in better spirits and would be willing to join us?" he ended his words on a slightly-high pitched note, puppy eyes imploring me into saying a yes. It was admirable, really, that the others were concerned about me and were sending the office baby as a way to get me back on my feet.

"I would love to, Jaden, but I'm honestly not feeling up to it yet."

He winced at my rejection but nodded understandingly. "Okay." I shot him a smile that didn't reach my eyes, and turned back to the work at hand. Even after a couple minutes passed, Jaden hadn't left the seat and simply had his eyes trained on me. Under normal circumstances, I would have made a joke and told him off for crushing on me so obviously with his undying attention but that wasn't the case now. He cleared his throat and I was brought to look back up into his swirling pools of coffee-brown eyes, a question raised in my own.

"He came by three times today, you know?"

The very mention of Hans had me stiffening in my chair. Jaden gave me a panicked smile and added, "Not that I'm trying to upset you or anything. It's just that..." he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, eyebrows crunching together, "A guy like Mr. Castellan wouldn't be so hellbent on seeing someone like that unless they mattered a lot."

"Jaden-"

"I know it's not my place to say any of this," Jaden cut in. He leaned forward on the desk, propping his hands on the glass. "I mean, I turned him away each time and told him you didn't want to see him. And when I couldn't convince him, Tim got him to leave."

Tim? A streak of worry hit me.

"Did they fight?" I asked, worry coating my voice.

"No. But Mr. Castellan didn't look happy whenever Tim got in the way." Jaden's eyebrows shot up at the audible sigh I let out. Whatever questions he had, he thought better of asking and continued what he was trying to tell me. "I'm just trying to say that whatever it is that's gotten between you and Mr. Castellan, I'm sure it can be worked out. I mean, you've known each other all these years and -"

"What?" My mouth nearly fell agape at what Jaden had just said. The astonishment on my face caused confusion on his as he went back on his words, mentally recounting what he could have implied to merit such a reaction.

"...what?"

"That last bit? About him and I knowing each other for several years?"

Jaden stared at me, thoroughly baffled. "What about it?"

I cleared my throat in an attempt to hide the shakiness of my voice. It didn't help much. "How do you know about my history with Hans?"

Jaden was still sizing me up as he spoke again, slowly as if he were speaking to a toddler. "What's there to know? I mean, I've always been aware of the fact that you two go way back. My professors would mention your class. It only took a little research to figure you were friends. Isn't that how you landed here in Innovus anyway?"

I felt like I had just been slapped across the face. Jaden knew? Of all the people in the world, Jaden, the errand boy of the office knew? I sunk back in my chair, visibly rattled by this new information. Was it just him or was everyone else aware of this except for me? Tim would have mentioned it, or at least brought it up as a question if he had. But then again, it's not like Hans was a very popular topic of discussion between the two of us.

"Tris? Are you okay?"

I nodded, breaking my gaze from the dull blinking surface of the glass. "I'm fine," I said. I didn't sound fine. I sounded like a choking chicken. "I think I'm going to call it a night." I stood up and started packing together some of my things, tossing my phone into my handbag before starting to make my way out of my office with a very puzzled Jaden still seated inside. Turning back, I gave him a last smile and a 'thank you' before whisking myself out of the office.

On the way out our floor, I was glad that I didn't bump into Tim which would have made for a lot of awkwardness. Everyone was either in their respective rooms, tending to office affairs or out for the night already. I couldn't care for which as I took the elevator alone to the lobby. All I wanted was a time-out. I often found that in my work but Jaden's revelation left me feeling that digging my head through trends analyses and client profiles wasn't going to help anymore. When the elevator dinged open, I made a beeline to the exit of the lobby. I needed food. Food, and perhaps a smidgen of alcohol.

On my way out, I couldn't help but notice the slight commotion around the reception desk. Two to three security guards were standing by the side of a short, curvy woman whose back was to me as she argued with the receptionist.

"Tall, brown eyes, ass of an angel. Walks like a queen, talks like a CEO. No? Never heard of her? Damn, but she's quite hard to miss."

"That does sound like Ms. Henderson," Matilda said, unsure. "But ma'am, we can't let you in unless we have valid-"

"Then, call the bitch! Isn't that your job?" The short lady squeaked impatiently, slapping away the hands of an awkward security who reddened at the tiny woman's outburst.

"We've dialed her extension but she's not picking up." Matilda looked like she was going to cry. Too caught up in the shorty's interrogation, she missed me standing in the back almost close to the revolving doors. And the honey-sweet turned angered puppy voice barking out of the woman sounded a whole lot familiar.

"I'm not from the press! I mean, I am, but I'm not here to dig anything up. Tris is my best friend and she needs to get hammered. Pronto."

I nearly rammed my head through the nearest wall, sighing as recognition flooded into me. Of course. My best friend never delayed matters of the heart. I should have known she would visit.

"Helena!" I called out to her, attracting the attention of most of the lobby whose eyes shot to me in disbelief. Yes, this meant that the little ball of humanized disaster was mine. The guards parted as I walked over to the reception with an apologetic smile pasted to my lips.

"I'm sorry for the trouble she's caused Tilly, but for future reference, you can let her up straight to my office, okay?"

Matilda's shoulders slumped in resignation as she nodded, the aged woman looking a century older having ended her heated discussion with the fiery brunette. The guards muttered something about troublesome women which would have earned them an ass-kicking from the feminist-writer herself, if only her sparkling fawn eyes weren't staring up at me in happiness.

"And finally, the queen emerges from her throne," she drawled, her full mouth pulling into a naughty smirk. Despite myself, I found a grin spreading on my face and opened my arms for Helena to come bounding in for a tight hug.

"It's been too long, bi-queen of my heart," I teased as I squeezed her in my arms.

"Far too long," she sighed, purposefully pressing her head into my bosom. "I've missed this." Although her tone was loaded with humor as she snuggled her head deeper between my breasts, earning a few scandalous looks from those in the lobby, I knew Helena really meant it.

"Why didn't you just call me?" I scolded her and Helena pouted in response.

"I was planning on surprising you if only some people hadn't ruined it." She threw a death glare over the counter at Matilda who was oblivious to the hate she was receiving.

Helena was a beautiful fireball of energy, her wild brown curls matching her vibrant personality and animated eyes. She stood a good five inches shorter than me and used the opportunity to pull me into unexpected hugs or displays of affection that more often than not involved burying her head in my bosom (it was an inside joke, literally). It had been over a year since we'd last met and as we hooked arms and walked out the building with Helena badmouthing the guards on the way out, I laughed and saw just how little she had changed. The one thing that held constant throughout my chaotic life was her. She was my life-saver.

"Where we headed, boss?" I asked, sliding into a cab that was readily waiting for us. She patted my thigh with her hand, a wicked grin on her face.

"Only the trashiest of bars."

I rolled my eyes at her. "I should expect nothing less from you."

_____

Dedicated to goodblue, my Helena. <3

Song: Wreck of the Day by Anna Nalick

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