Page 65 of Mated To My Boss

The old me might have spent days pining over Nate, waiting for him to come to his senses. But I've learned that my happiness can't depend on someone else's choices.

I yawn loudly before stretching and moving around. A flash of memories hit me and I begin to imagine Nate's body pressed against mine, like it was that night. The memories are so sharp I almost burst into wretched sobs.

“Fuck,” I groan, before I go to splash waters on my face. I let the water bring me back to the world of the living, which it does.

My next stop is the kitchen, where I make a hot cup of coffee. As soon as I put the pot on, my phone starts to ring.Please don't be Nate. Please don't be Nate.

I glance at the phone and I slump in relief. “Hey girl, how are you?” Hannah says excitedly. Her cheerfulness makes me feel a bit better.

“I'm okay,” I stifle a yawn. “How are you?”

“Great, already at my favorite spot in the world. You said something about not going to work today, didn’t you?”

“Yup,” I respond, waiting for the coffee pot as it works its magic.

“Come meet me then, we can spend the day here.”

It feels nice to have people who care about me this much. Nate certainly doesn't. “That sounds like a great idea,” I sigh. “Being cooped up at home won’t do me a lot of good.”

“Exactly. I'll be waiting for you, okay? Bring your supplies.”

I agree and I wait until my coffee is ready before moving again. I pour it into a mug and waste no time slurping it. The dark liquid gold perks me up with life and energy.

I head back to the bedroom and pick out a pretty sundress with flower patterns. Once I’m dressed, my mood lifts a bit and suddenly don't feel as dull as when I woke.

The weather outside helps a lot. It's still early morning, but the sun is quickly ascending. Its bright light greets me, pushing through fluffy clouds. Thankfully, today is looking like the perfect mix of brightness and cool breezes.

Outside the knitting store is unusually busy today. I navigate through the crowd and head into the shop. Hannah sees me and rushes to hug me. “Hi!”

“Hi,” I respond, happy to see her.

She leads me to a section that usually stores old looms. Instead, I see a circle of comfortable chairs and a coffee table.

“What's this?” I ask.

“Lucca and I cleared out the machines to create a space for customers to sit and knit. I don't know about you, but I'd love a cozy place to sit and knit in a store.”

“This is wonderful,” I gush, finding a comfortable chair and happily hauling out my stuff. I notice an old TV hanging above us on one of the pillars. “There's even a TV!”

“It’s always been there,” Hannah explains. “Lucca doesn't use it much, though. Let’s see if it still works.” She turns it on and the first thing we see is a news broadcast. Hannah is just about to switch the channel when I stop her.

“Wait!”

My sudden outburst shocks her, but I'm too engrossed in the image on the screen to notice her reaction.

“Jeez, you scared the shit out of me. What is it?”

I point at the mugshot on the TV. “That’s the guy who stalked me.”

Hannah's jaw almost drops to the floor. “What the hell? I didn't know anyone was stalking you.”

“It's a long story,” I reply, leaning back in the chair.

Hannah takes one last look at the TV and turns it off. She sits beside me and sets her chin on a fist, eager to listen. “Tell me everything.”

I sigh. “Where to start? Remember that evening we had dinner together? When I was ready to bitch about Nate?”

“Of course,” Hannah answers, nodding.

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