EMMA DAMIAN 26

D A M I A N

I'd never felt anything like what I was feeling at the time.

Of course, I'd felt fury, rage, and despair in the past.

But standing there, watching the elevator doors close, the whirlwind of all those emotions was unparalleled.

I took a deep breath and then another. I wasn't sure what to do next, but whatever I did, I had to remain cool and in charge.

Marian, on the other hand, did not give me the opportunity. Her brow crinkled, indicating that she was still processing what had transpired.

I couldn't tell you what they'd talked about.

There was no doubt in my mind that they'd had it out in the way that only two foes could.

She took a step closer to me, attempting to calm herself.

"Damian," she replied, almost ridiculously sultry in tone. "I'm sorry you had to go through all of that."

Marian put her hand on my upper arm and gently squeezed it once she got close.

I took another slow, deep inhale.

"What occurred? " I inquired, my tone level. "What just happened?" ”

She grinned, as though my asking the question implied I was unconcerned about anything.

"I explained to her that you and I were, well, you and I. I told her she didn't have to bother coming around anymore. After all, isn't that true? Damian, you and I are meant to be. And she isn't anything."

"She's a nobody," Marian said to Emma in my head as I stood there.

They instilled in me a rage I couldn't quite comprehend.

I shut my eyes and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"You must depart. "Get it right now."

Marian looked at me with a horrified expression when I opened my eyes.

“W…what? ”

"You did hear me. Get out."

"But Damian..."

“Leave.”

She did not commit the crime. Marian stayed put, defiance written all on her face and posture.

"Damian, I know this isn't how you anticipated things to turn out. But it's all for the better. After all, you and I are finally getting together! " She seemed astonished that I wasn't picking her up and carrying her fireman-style back into my office to make passionate love to her.

She was completely crazy and arrogant.

She's the same as she's always been.

“That. Is. Never. Going. To. Happen. Now fucking go."

Marian began to worry, and I could tell she was concerned that she would not get exactly what she wanted.

“Listen Damian,” she said. “I know I…messed up back when we were younger. It wasn’t the right thing to do to lie about having your baby. But that’s all in the past. I’ve changed, darling. And I can’t wait for the chance to show you. Now, let’s put all this awful business with Emma behind us and-“

I shrugged my arm, hard enough to detach her hand.

“Wrong. You haven’t changed. I don’t know what you said exactly to Emma, but there isn’t a damn doubt in my mind that I was anything but the same Mean-Girls shit you pulled back in high school. Your behavior in the last twenty minutes has proved that you’re still the same arrogant, self-obsessed brat you’ve always been. And on top of that, you’re a fucking liar.”

She didn’t say a word, her eyes wide and her mouth in a shocked “O.”

So, I finished it up.

“Now, get the fuck out of my office before I call security and have them march you out. And don’t you ever even think about coming back.”

But Marian didn’t budge an inch. Instead, her lip began to quiver and tears welled in the bottom lids of her eyes.

Oh, great – here come the fucking waterworks.

With that, she let loose. Marian’s head hung back, and she started bawling like there was no tomorrow, sobs and wails filling the air.

Fucking hell.

I glanced over my shoulder, seeing Beth and Lori in the hallway watching the events unfold with expressions of concern. I shook my head and waved my hand, saying “Don’t worry about it – it’s nothing.”

The ladies gave apprehensive nods, watching the scene for another few seconds before ducking out of view.

If there was one thing Marian had always had a natural flair for, it was getting attention.

“You…you don’t get it, Damian!”

“What’s not to get? We’re done.”

She lifted her head, wet eyeliner trailing down her face in black streaks. The woman was a mess.

“But you don’t get it. I’m in real trouble!”

I needed to get to Emma, and I didn’t give a damn about what kind of trouble she was in.

“My…my last husband.” She didn’t wait for me to say anything to go on. “He was cruel to me. So cruel.”

“Cruel?”

“He’s worth millions but barely gave me anything. It was ridiculous! I had a lifestyle to keep up and how was I supposed to do that with the…the scraps he was giving me every month?”

I couldn’t imagine caring less about anything else.

Part of me wanted to take out my phone and try to call Emma right then and there. But I had a feeling she wouldn’t be too interested in talking to me.

“So, what else was I supposed to do?” Marian was sobbing between words, her face getting all gross and snotty like a kid who’d just banged her knee. “I…talked to some people, borrowed some money.”

Despite how much I wanted her to get lost, this got my attention.

“You what?”

“I borrowed some money. Not a lot! Well, not at first.” She shook her head as she wiped her tears with the back of her hand. “I was sure I’d be getting more than enough in the divorce to pay it back. But I didn’t expect him to be so mean about it!”

“Wait, let me get this straight – you borrowed money from loan sharks and now you’re on the hook for money you can’t pay back?”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Well, I could – Marian had never been one to make responsible, or mature, decisions. Hell, she was the one who’d invented a fake pregnancy to get me into a real marriage.

But borrowing money from loan sharks?

“What the hell were you thinking?” I asked. “You ever heard of this thing called a credit card?”

“I maxed them all out,” she said, as if it were the most sensible thing in the world. “And these clothes don’t pay for themselves!” Marian tugged at her velour shirt.

“I don’t have time for this.” I spoke as I stepped around her.

But Marian wasn’t ready to let me go. She grabbed my sleeve, yanking part of my shirt untucked.

“No, you can’t just leave!” she cried, her eyes wide with fear, as if I were dooming her to a fate worse than death. “I’m getting nothing in the divorce. Damian, you’re my only chance.”

I wasn’t in the mood. After yanking my arm away from her and re-tucking my shirt, I caught sight of Beth in the office. After pulling open the door, I stuck my head in and barked out a quick command.

“Call security and make sure she’s not here when I get back.”

Beth gave a sharp nod, her eyes slightly wide from the drama she was likely hearing all of through the office doors. When that was done, I turned and strode toward the elevator.

“Damian…what – what are you doing?”

“None of your damn business.”

The expression of shock on her face made it clear that it was finally sinking in that she was totally fucked.

“But what about me? What am I supposed to do?”

I, I, I; me, me, me. There was one person Marian gave a shit about.

And I was beyond tired of it.

“Not my problem,” I said, the elevator doors opening. I turned and looked her dead in the eye. “Go find yourself another sucker. Once was enough for me.”

The words came as a shock, and it took her a moment to compose herself. Then the doors closed, Marian running toward them.

“No, wait!”

They shut with a chipper ding. And that was that.

My heart thudded at a steady, fast pace. Marian had stolen valuable moments that could’ve made the difference between getting a chance to say my piece to Emma.

The elevator doors opened to the building lobby and I burst into a run, hauling ass and nearly slamming into a member of the maintenance staff.

Cold hit me as I stepped through the sliding glass front doors, and I didn’t waste any time scanning the parking lot for any sign of Emma. But the parking lot around the offices were huge – lots of places to check.

I broke out into a run, not giving a damn how it might look that the head doctor of the clinic was sprinting in a circle around the building, not even wearing a coat despite the freezing weather. Puffs of breath formed in the frigid air as I ran, the sky a solid, smoky gray above. Snow was piled up next to the sidewalk, and I had to run carefully to not slip on the ice.

When I reached the other side of the building, I spotted her. She was at the far end of the parking lot, but near enough that I could make out the sadness on her face. Emma, apparently just then finishing up a call, shoved her phone into her purse and opened her car door.

“Emma!”

Right at the moment I called out her name, a big truck with a growling engine drove past, its huge tires kicking up dirty snow all over my dress shoes, along with the bottoms of my slacks. But my clothes were the last thing I cared about.

She didn’t hear me -or was ignoring me- as she ducked down into her car. I cupped my hands in front of her mouth and called her name again.

Nothing.

Her car pulled out of its spot, and there wasn’t any doubt in my mind I needed to follow her. I reached into my pocket and felt…nothing,

I glanced down, realizing that my keys were in my jacket and I’d left it in the office, along with my phone.

“Shit!”

The word came out in a sharp hiss as I turned to run back to the office. I glanced over my shoulder just in time to watch her car pull out of the lot and into traffic.

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

The odds were getting slimmer by the second that I’d be able to get to her in time.

But I didn’t give a damn. I needed Emma like fucking crazy, and any odds, no matter how slim, were good enough for me. I hurried back into the building. Not wanting to bother with the elevator, I rushed up the stairs and was soon back in my office.

There was no sign of Marian – one less thing to worry about.

Beth was at the front desk, her curious eyes on me as I ran down the hall toward my office.

“Dr. Aquino?” Her voice was tinged with curiosity – no doubt she’d never seen me that intense.

I hurried into my office and snatched my phone off my desk, pulling up Emma’s number and calling.

Each ring that sounded without her answering was like an ice-cold knife blade into my gut.

It went to voicemail. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d left a voicemail for non-business reasons, but I did it anyway.

“Emma, please call me. We need to talk about what happened, what you saw. It wasn’t what you think it was. Call me as soon as you get this.”

I winced as soon as I ended the call. “It wasn’t what you think it was?” That was the most cliché line imaginable – sitcom shit. But it was the truth. Emma had come in right at the moment Marian had thrown herself at me. From Emma’s perspective, it no doubt looked like I was in the middle of something I hadn’t been.

I fired off a text and called one more time.

No response.

There was nothing else to do but try to speak to her in person. I threw on my coat and made damn sure I had my phone and keys this time, then hurried out of the office.

“I’m not available for the rest of the day,” I said to Beth as I hurried past.

“Got it. Good luck.” Her tone was professional but considerate, as if she knew I was in the middle of a total mess but wanted to give me some respectable distance.

I gave a pursed-lip smile in return, one to let her know I appreciated it.

Then I was out the door and back outside moments later, then behind the wheel of my car. I drove fast, my heart still racing.

And as I drove, a thought occurred to me. As fucking furious as I was with Marian, at the very least her insane behavior had made me realize beyond a shadow of a doubt how deeply I felt toward Emma. It was much, much more than the simple lust I’d convinced myself it had been.

A red light illuminated at the intersection ahead, bringing me to a stop. I slammed the steering wheel in frustration.

All I could do was hope I hadn’t fucked it up for good.