Page 18 of Due Process
Stella discreetly wiped her eyes and sipped from the glass of water I offered. Then she just dumped her weapons down between us.
“Felix has been having an affair with his secretary.”
My body recoiled, knocking into the table. My head automatically shook, trying to refute the blasphemous accusation that had come out of her mouth. I didn’t care for Felix much, but evenIcould admit how dedicated he was to his wife. He named his entire company after her, for fuck’s sake.
“Is it true?” I asked.
“I saw them t-together…” Her eyes disassociated and began to mist as I read the utter hopelessness swimming beneath. As if she were reliving and losing herself to that exact moment of agony.
No. No. No.
I refused to lose her to that state of desolation. She was too strong for that.
My palms raised to bracket her face, desperately wanting to pull her back from that place. The place where it was dark, decrepit and soulless.This isn’t my Stella.
“Come back to me,”I muttered in a rush, my tone borderline panicked. “Come back to me, baby.”
I watched it happen, my rapid pulse harmonising with hers as she gradually clicked back online, returning to reality one heartbeat at a time.
Her respirations soon synced with mine, mimicking my deep breaths.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Colour returned to Stella’s skin, and her face sparked with animation once more.
“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice so small and quiet. But at least she was talking. I’d take whatever I could get.
I sagged forward, my forehead unintentionally bumping into hers. “Don’t apologise. You just scared me. That’s all. I lost you for a second there.”
“Sometimes, I can’t help it. When I close my eyes, it’s like I have nowhere to turn or escape what I witnessed.” She huffed. “But you want to know what the real fucked-up thing about all this is? Sometimes, I welcome it—that heartache and betrayal—just so I can use it as a reminder that they deserve everything coming their way…”
I was hurt for my friend, entirely shocked at the turn of events.
“Curt…”
“Yeah?”
Stella’s voice dipped, barely above a whisper. “I scare myself too. I don’t want to get lost in this pain… this hatred. How do I not drown in it?”
That confession cost her. She was being vulnerable, clearly baring her crushed soul for me to weigh and judge.
My thumbs traced over her cheeks, trying to lend her reassurance and strength.
“I’ll pull you back, Stells.Every time, I will be there.I promise, I’ll always bring you back.”
One silent tear ran over my thumb before Stella slumped into my chest, silent sobs soaking into my shirt.
With my best friend in my arms, I internally sealed that vow; I would always be there for her.
Chapter 11
FELIX
I drove home on autopilot, exhaustion pulling on my limbs.
A month had passed since Stella had returned to the company, and I was yet to snatch five solitary minutes with my wife.
Ever since the scandal about Jake and his idiotic plan for blackmail broke, Stella had been wading knee-deep in shit. Finally, after a gruelling fortnight, we managed to break the contract and cut ties with the crazy asshole.
