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My phone buzzes, but before I can check my messages, Riley walks up to me.
“Was Elliot just talking trash about me?” he asks, his eyes narrowed, and I frown. I guess curiosity won. I knew he wouldn’t let it rest after he saw Elliot laughing and looking at him.
“The world doesn’t revolve around you, Riley.”
He crosses his arms and grins at me. “Do you want to bet I can rock your world, though?”
I mirror his posture and stare him down. “Do you want to bet I’ll report you to HR if you so much as try?”
His smile drops, a hint of frustration in his eyes. “Are you still mad about the way I treated you on your first day here?”
I stare at him, annoyed. I don’t get what his deal is. “No, I’m not,” I tell him honestly. “I’m just busy. We’re on a deadline, Riley.”
He looks away, and all of a sudden I’m worried that I was too harsh. I’ve become quite friendly with both Laura and Elliot, and I’ll often have lunch or coffee with them, but I guess I must’ve been harboring at least a bit of a grudge because I rarely hang out with Riley.
“I’m sorry,” I say, feeling worse by the second. “I was just about to go grab a coffee down the street, actually. Elliot and I took some notes that I need to think through. Would you like to come with me?”
He looks at me in disbelief, and then he smiles. “Huh, so you don’t hate me. I have some work to do, so how about we grab lunch together soon? There were some front-end issues I wanted to discuss with you anyway,” he says.
I nod. I feel like I’m losing control of everything, like I’m falling behind, like I’m not on top of things as much as I should be. I need to work harder.
I might not be able to control the feelings I’m developing for Gray, but this I can control.
29
Grayson
Aria has been quiet and distant all week, and I can’t quite figure out why. Last weekend was perfect, but she’s barely spoken to me since. She’s been hyper-focused on work lately, and I can’t even fault her for it.
I thought we were making progress, though, I thought she was feeling what I was feeling. The way she was looking at me as she was sipping her drink… I thought she wanted me, that things were starting to shift between us.
I sit down on my sofa and stare out the window. I’ve always loved my space, so this house has never felt lonely, but tonight it does.
I’ve come to expect hanging out with Aria, watching TV together, eating together. They’re all mundane things, but they’re the best part of my day, and I didn’t even realize it until Aria started to hide in her room.
It’s not just me she’s hiding from, though. It’s Ash, too. Her responses are short, and I can’t tell what’s wrong. Last weekend changed things for me, but they seem to have changed for her too — in the opposite direction. She seems further away than ever.
I don’t want to intrude either, especially because she seems okay at work. She’s been working hard, and I’ve seen her smiling at Riley multiple times. Just today he asked her out at least half a dozen times, but she doesn’t even seem to realize it. Just before she left the office, he asked her if she wanted to join him for a drink. I saw her hesitate, as though she considered saying yes. The mere idea of her with Riley annoys me.
I grab my phone and open the Nemesis app. My finger hovers over the instant messaging function and I hesitate for a split second before deciding to text her.
Ash:You’re being quiet lately. What’s up?
Her replies have been late recently, even when I know she’s got her phone on her. I’m not sure what’s going on, but something is up.
Nyx:I just have some stuff on my mind, that’s all.
Ash:Will you tell me? I’m a pretty good listener, if I do say so myself.
She goes quiet for a couple of minutes, and I wonder if I’ve lost her attention. Just as I’ve decided that she’s put her phone away already, she texts back.
Nyx:It’s nothing, but I did find you a funny pun.
I purse my lips and look out the window, wondering why she’s being so off with me.
Ash:Oh no. tell me.
Nyx:What does a whale say when he’s confused? I’ll tell you. Could you please be more Pacific? Lol.
