Page 21 of Serena
He’s able to push me off, and I land on the couch. “Seriously, Ian. Calm the fuck down, or I’ll have to call security.”
“Tell me,” I demand because I’m getting tired of this.
“Answer my questions first.” The balls on this guy. I manage to stand from the couch, losing my patience, and face him.
“She doesn’t know, but that doesn’t matter because I’ll protect her regardless. I haven't tried to hide my intentions from her, and I won’t hide them from you or anyone else. I know enough; the rest is irrelevant. It's a long story, but no, I was never engaged to Mila Livingston or anyone else. Take it or leave it, that’s all you’re getting. Now, don't make me repeat myself.”
He hesitates, but regardless, I came here for answers, and I’ll push until I get them. “Dickhead, sit down, and you may want another drink.” He pauses. “She needs to tell you herself, but we both know that Serena, well, she doesn’t share. You need to earn her trust, Ian. I mean it. Don’t push her. Serena called me last night in a panic. She hurt herself…unintentionally.”
“What!?” I shout at him.
“I was working late in the office when she called. She was crying and upset. I could barely understand what she was saying. Something about glass everywhere and in her hand, mumbling that she couldn’t get it out. I knew what was wrong the moment she mentioned the glass being everywhere. I-I…well, I have a copy of the girls' apartment keys for emergencies. Theo has a spare as well, just in case.
When I arrived, I used them to get into her apartment. As soon as I walked in, I saw shattered glass all over the living room. Serena was on the kitchen floor. I knew she’d had an episode.” I sit still and continue listening.
“Ian, she had a piece of glass stuck in the palm of her hand. She was sobbing, and there was blood on the counter, the floor, and on her. I was able to calm her down enough to take the piece of glass out and clean the wound. The cut wasn’t deep enough to require stitches, but the damage was done. I helped her get cleaned up. I called Theo to let him know what had happened. He’s out of town, so he insisted I stay with her. After a couple of hours, Serena was calmer. When I asked what had happened, she told me it’d been a bad day at work. There was a meeting with the marketing team that didn’t go as planned. When she got home, she spoke with her mother, and it went downhill from there. She insisted I leave, and she promised to get some rest before the trip. As I was leaving, I noticed a blood stain on my shirt, so I took it off. I have someone scheduled to go clean her apartment and replace anything that was damaged.”
“What damages?”
“The broken television and stained furniture. Ian, Serena has aichmophobia; not many people know. It’s not something she wants to share.” Every answer brings new questions.
“For how long? Did she tell you what happened at work?”
“A couple of years. She didn’t actually share the news. Like I said, she needs to tell you, but good luck with that; she’s infuriating at times. She pushes Yuri and Theo away so they don’t worry about her. She tries to do the same with me, but I can see through her more than they can.”
That last statement is upsetting because it's evident how much he knows her. He was her first call. Just thinking about it makes me want to punch him again. He notices. “Ian, are you going to take a swing at me again?”
“I’m thinking about it.” I’m honest with him, and it seems to lighten the mood.
“Ian, how long?” I know what he’s asking. So I tell him. Stunned is too simple a word to describe his reaction.
“Damn it, Ian, I told you to stay away from her.” He runs both hands through his hair in a sign of frustration. “Okay, then you should know what triggered her at the meeting yesterday. Byran Carson. They had a relationship in college, and it didn’t end well for her. He was at the gala a couple of weeks ago. She didn’t know he was part of the team until yesterday. She told me she set boundaries, but I don't know if that will be enough for her.” Without hesitation, I tell him I'll take care of it.
“Is he the reason for the gun?”
“Gun…what gun?”
He doesn’t know. “I assumed she’d have one since it was a bad breakup.”
“Right. Well, no gun, but she does kickboxing. Ian, you’re my friend, but she’s like a sister to me. I won’t stop protecting her. Not until she tells me she trusts you.”
“You’re lucky I didn’t kill you.”
“Ian, I’m serious."
“Elias, so am I.”
“You know you’re crazy, right?” He may not agree with how I’m going about things, but he knows me well enough to know that I won’t stop.
“Now get the fuck out of my office before I call security. And I'm telling Theo, you owe me a new shirt. Asshole.”
I make my way out of the office, but I turn and look at Elias. “I’ll be changing her locks, so throw away her apartment keys.”
He doesn’t know everything about her, but neither do I, and that needs to change. I need to be close to her now more than ever, but I need to take care of some things. The security detail I have on her updates me on every move she makes. Right now,the team is knee-deep in audits, and I know she's using work as a distraction. For now, I’ll leave her alone. I have a life to ruin.
This trip has definitely kept me distracted from everything else going on, but after a busy day, I find myself in my hotel room. I’m alone with my thoughts, and that’s never a good thing. I need to get out of here. Trying to decide where to eat becomes a simpler task when I hear someone shout my name. “Serena!” I turn around to find Maggie from Human Resources. She’s pleasant enough.
“I’m about to grab some dinner. Want to join me?”
