Chapter 4

• "You know you're going to throw up when you get home?"
• I looked up to see Duncan giving me a weary look as I sat in the staff room with my laptop and shrugged, "Yeah, I know, but I'm hungry." I said. This was the only thing available in the kitchen.
• "And you decided to eat an entire packet of chocolate biscuits?" Duncan asked loosening his tie.
• They had caramel in them too, soft, goey, they tasted amazing and my stomach was already churning from eating too much, I was definitely going to regret this.
• "I was hungry," I repeated trying to find an excuse to his demeaning gaze. He lowered himself into a chair next to me grabbing the last half eaten biscuit out of my hand and throwing it into the bin.
• "Aedan, chocolate makes you sick."
• But it also makes you feel so much better, for a bit. I grabbed the water glass he pushed towards me draining it, trying to get the sweet flavour out of my mouth, "I think you should go home, it's late." he said.
• I sighed running a hand through my hair closing my eyes briefly.
• "I have one more room to design," and it was Friday night, which meant either Sterling was home with his friends causing a racket, or out. If he was home it meant I would get no work done with the noise. So I might as well sit here and be safe.
• I also needed to find away to talk to my own parents about keeping their nose out of our business, which was easier said then done. They always did support everyone else but me, so everyone else thought they were good and they kept up their stupid reputation.
• God this stupid cruise, maybe I should just pay for it and let him go with his stupid mate and that way he will leave me alone, but it was my money. Why was he so incapable of earning his own damn money.
• "Aedan!"
• I looked up as a concerned Duncan hovered a bit too close for my comfort, his hand on mine and I looked at him, "What?"
• "You completely spaced out."
• I slipped my hand out from under his and ran it over my face before tucking my loose hair that slipped out of my pony tail behind my ear, "Oh yeah, guess I'm just tired," I said as I closed my laptop. I guess I could work on it at home, the past hour I had just been sitting here procrastinating anyway, "Why are you still at work?"
• "Nah I just came back to get something and saw the light on in here, come on, do you need a ride home?"
• I shook my head getting up as I slid everything back into my laptop bag, "No, I drove here," like every other day. Yet somehow he always kept offering anyway, well I had the option at least. Why can't Sterling be nice like Duncan?
• Actually no, why can't Sterling just not exist.
• "Do you need me to walk you down?"
• "No I'm fine." I replied.
• "Are you sure it's late, where did you park?"
• "I'll be fine, I'll see you on Monday," I told Duncan as he walked back to his office to get whatever he forgot. He sent me a nod as I waited for the elevator. I checked my phone and to no surprise there were a few missed calls from mum, and a message asking me to call her early.
• After working for another hour I decided it was time to get home before I fell asleep at the office. I got into the elevator deleting the message, no doubt she was going to try persuading me into this stupid cruise. "You work too much," I scoffed waiting for it to go underground. Well where did he think money came from? His arse?
• I stepped out of the elevator into the isolated carpark looking around till I spotted my familiar car all the way in the corner, I parked in the same spot every day but tonight I was regretting it as it was a fair walk and it was absolutely freezing.
• Not to mention I was so tired and felt ill from all the chocolate I just wanted to go home and sleep.
• Or maybe I should just sleep in the car, wake up and go back to the office to do some more work. I scoffed, that was a stupid idea, it was my house and I shouldn't be so scared to live in it.
• I reached into my bag trying to find my keys, why did they always somehow get to the bottom of my bag, trying to dig through everything and find them was such a nightmare. It seemed I had everything I didn't need except my keys.
• Tissues. Gross I hope they were clean
• Lens cleaner and my glasses case for when I draw some designs. My glasses that were never in the glasses case because I was too lazy or rushed.
• A minty? I didn't even like mint. I finally spotted the keys at the very bottom under an unopened pack of chewing gum, and here I thought I ran out.
• Grabbing the keys I was about to take a step towards the car when something rammed into me causing me to squeal and before I could regain my balance or even knew what was happening my body smacked into the ground and my head pounded as I hit the hard floor. Pain shot up my ankle, no doubt I had twisted my leg when I fell.
• I could hear a weird buzzing in my ears as well as a lot of screaming as my eyes focused on the blurry image, "Give me your keys."
• I blinked trying to see who it was but in the dark I barely made out anything but a moving silhouette. I tried sitting up when something pushed against my shoulder making me hit the ground again, "Stay down, give me your damn keys!"
• All I felt was the cold ground against my cheek before I felt the pressure remove off me and something snatched out of my hand.
• My bag!.
• "H-hey," I tried yelling out instead felt my stomach churn as I felt the sugary goodness come all the way back up and the sound of an engine wasn't my worry anymore, as I emptied my stomach's content onto the ground.
• * * *
• "I'll go get the cash,"
• My all too understanding cab driver nodded as I struggled to open the damn door. It took me a while to explain I didn't have any cash on me since I was robbed and I would pay him as soon as I reached the destination, he seemed a bit weary at first but seeing what I looked like probably told him I wasn't lying.
• Shit, I don't even have my house keys.
• I limped up the stairs, and sure enough I could hear music from inside. Of course he was having another party, I wonder where he got the money for the booze and food from. I rattled the door handle realising it was locked and swore.
• For once he actually locked the door, after months of leaving it unlocked, the one day I wanted it to be unlocked it wasn't. I rang the door bell hoping they could hear it over the loud music. I rang it again looking over my shoulder at the taxi, I hope he didn't think I was going to do a runner.
• Well I wouldn't, I just felt bad making the old man wait while my incompetent husband took his time opening the door.
• Speak of the devil, I looked back as the door flew open and frowned when I saw someone else, "Oh hey babe."
• "Who are you?" I asked staring at the man that was shorter than me, which I didn't think was possible since I was short myself. Wait why was I asking a question, this was my house and I had more important things, I walked past his drunk self that was leaning on the door towards the spare cabinet near the door.
• "Sterling-a-ding your wife is here, and she looks gross."
• I opened the draw the same time the guy from before rammed into it nearly sending the vase on top across the room, thankfully I caught it in time, "Do you mind?"
• I grabbed the spare wallet pulling out two notes and nearly winced when I heard him scream, "Dude I found your wife's hidden stash! Can we order pizza Mrs whoever?"
• Ignoring him I rushed back to pay the taxi driver who I had made wait way too long, "Don't worry about the change, thanks for your help."
• He nodded returning me with a wide smile, "You take care of yourself young lady."
• I gave him a nod and a last wave as I headed back up the stairs nearly bumping into the same guy, and this time it got on my nerves, "Jesus move."
• I tried to side step him only for him to block me again and I looked up flustered, "Do you mind?"
• "What happened to your head?"
• My head? I reached up to where he was motioning on his own face and the moment I touched my forehead I winced feeling a burn, I pulled back my hands to see blood and swore under my breathe. This time pushing him aside I rushed back inside, I had to so much to do.
• I was aware of the man following me and I looked over at him, did he have nothing else to do, or was he just that drunk. I grabbed the phone dialling the familiar number we were all told but myself had never called and I had to say I was feeling queasy, and I wasn't sure if it was the chocolate, falling over or the nerves to call the police.
• I waited for the voice to ask me which service I wanted, the fire, ambulance or police, "I would like to speak to the police thank you."
• "Sterling your wife is calling the cops!," he screamed. I could punch this guy.
• "Can you shut up before I shove -," the phone was abruptly pulled out of my hand and I spun around irritated and fed up.
• "You know if you wanted the party to end you could have just ask-," Sterling said and then paused as his grey eyes narrowed at me, and for once they weren't from anger.
• "What happened to your face?" he asked, still holding my phone.
• "Now is not the time to mock my beauty, do you mind," I tried reaching for the phone but instead he slammed it back onto the receiver cutting whoever was on the other line, great. Thanks for that, so much help.
• I reached for the phone again but he kept his hand on top, "Can you let me call the cops, I'm not reporting your stupid party for god's sake."
• "Then?" he asked.
• "I need to report a stolen car."
• He shrugged for a moment before regarding me again, "Wait, did you get robbed?" I could almost picture his alcohol filled brain trying to put two and two together and I rolled my eyes, "Well done, do you want a gold star," I slapped his hand off the phone before dialling the number except he pulled it out of my hands before I could press ring.
• Stop doing that!
• "When? Where?" he asked.
• "Sterling I need to call the cops,"
• "You can report the stupid car anyway, good riddance it was ugly." he shuddered, "So old as well. I am surprised they want that trash."
• I gritted my teeth as he held the phone out of my reach, "I still need to report it, and he has my wallet and purse and my laptop," oh my god, my laptop.
• I felt my stomach roll, it had all my designs in it, my projects, all the progress.
• "I think she's going to faint." the annoying guy from before muttered behind me but it was barely heard, all the hours spent working. Oh god please tell me I remember to save it on my USB.
• "No, I know that look," I heard another voice mutter before a strong arm gripped me, not so gently either, "She's going to throw up."
• What was I going to tell my clients, 'sorry, I got robbed and lost all the designs and need more time to work on them.' This was going to cause me a loss of clients and my reputation, I needed that laptop back. It was my whole life in there.
• I could feel a weird sensation of burning throat and stinging eyes but no, I was not going to cry, I was going to call the cops, and find the robber and cut him into tiny pieces, but first I was going to throw up.
• Wait, when did I get into the bathroom, but before I could think I felt my head being pushed towards the sink and hands clasping around my ears blocking out the sound before everything I ate in the past week came rushing back up.
• * * *
• "Hey wake up,"
• I jolted away as something kicked me, and not so kindly either and I sat up confused, why the hell was I on the kitchen floor.
• I had to admit, the tiles were cool against my face and it did calm me, but that throbbing in my head wouldn't go away. My ankle felt like it was snapped off.
• My eyes adjusted before I saw what the source of ruining my sleep was, Sterling. "What?" I asked confused as he passed me a glass of water.
• "I was sleeping," I eyed the water, I was so thirsty, but my stomach didn't want to take it, just the thought of something going down made it tighten.
• "You can't sleep for more than two hours, you have a concussion."
• I blinked not understanding anything and he sighed leaning down and placing the glass next to me as he turned around and I looked around confused, "Why am I in the kitchen," never the less on the ground.
• "Because I need to keep an eye on you and I have shit to do."
• "What shit." I asked.
• "Shut up Aedan." He muttered going back to whatever he was doing that needed a laptop and a whole bottle of scotch it seemed like next to him. I looked around realising the sound of the party was gone and everyone had left.
• I tried sitting up but gave up when I didn't get more than a meter up and swore, "I need to call the cops." I said trying to look for a phone.
• "I already did it, just sleep I'll wake you up in another two hours."
• I frowned leaning my head on the cabinet, he called the cops already? But my over exhausted brain and body didn't think twice before my eyes shut on me again.