Inevitable Ever After

Part 4

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I am about to explode when I stomp into Jared's office in the morning.

"That's why you asked me to take care of that story telling bullshit, isn't it?" I snap as I shove my phone with his picture in his face. "You wanted me to be busy, while you're free to suck up to the boss. And then you're gonna take credit for my work."

"Good morning to you too," Jared says, leaning back in his chair like he's a king and I'm a fly. He has the audacity to smile. Smile. "Schneider asked me to have dinner with him – nothing more. You can stop jumping to conclusions."

"As if you'd refuse if he recommends you for his job!"

"Of course not."

"Take care of that fairy tale shit yourself!" I snap.

"I told him I handed the task over to you," Jared says at the same time.

I blink at him. One, two, seven times. What?

"Sit down. I'll get you a cup of coffee and we'll talk over this like the civilized people that we are." He gestures to his small meeting table in the corner while he stands up, brushing his shirt straight, properly tucking it into the pants where it belongs. He's wearing all black, befitting for the evil villain that he is.

"I don't want coffee." At least not from him. With him. Anywhere close to him.

"Yes, you do," Jared smirks. "You look like you're about to murder me. Very unbecoming for a princess."

My heartbeat stutters. "I'm not – "

He's already gone.

I am not a princess.

Have never been, will never be.

Screw Jared.

I turn on the heels and march to my office. Pace the limited space between shelves and desks up and down. Amber isn't there – probably in a meeting – to talk me down. I pop a candy from the emergency sweets bowl in my mouth and pace more, my heart escalating in my chest. If I could have, I would have probably run. Out of the office, the building, anywhere else.

I am not a princess. I am Caitlyn Evergrove, team leader in the marketing department of Electro Corp. I work a normal job. Live in a normal apartment. I am not –

"Sorry," Jared says. He suddenly stands in the door.

I jump at his voice.

He places the steaming coffee on my desk. It's the 'how about no' cup. My favourite cup. Juliet gave it to me as a birthday gift a few years back.

I stare at Jared. And stare and stare and stare. I don't know why, but I don't know what else to do either. The simple gesture rattles at my upset heart. He knows my favourite cup.

Jared stares back at me. Golden eyes searching my face. Cautiously. Like I'm a deer and he doesn't want to spook me. "Sorry," he repeats, voice low and soft.

Something strange unfolds in the air between us. I can't name it. Maybe solidarity, because we share the same curse. Comprehension that needs no words. A tension, that calms my heartbeat and quickens it at the same time.

I swallow and force myself to look out the window.

"I'm sorry I asked you to do this," Jared says, fidgeting with his shirt collar. "But I – " he inhales deeply and blows the air out again like it's poison. "I can't even look at a happy family without getting so raging mad I want to trash something. I thought you'd be the best to ask because you are good at those jobs. Very good, Cat. But if it's bothering you, I'll find someone else to take care of it."

"You know it bothers me!" I yell so suddenly I'm surprised myself. "You knew from the very beginning it would and you asked me anyway! So don't go faking remorse now!"

"You could have said no."

"I did say no!"

"Yeah." He glances at my cup on the desk. His jaw sets, lips slightly pressed. "You always do." When he looks back at me he clearly snapped out of whatever threatened to possess him. "I'll tell Schneider to give the task to another team."

I nod once. Air whooshes out of my lungs. Knots in my stomach unwind. Relieve relaxes my shoulders.

Then my mouth pops open with the realization. "Oh, no you won't!" If Mr. Schneider already knows I was responsible for the event and then dropped out, I'll look incompetent and unprofessional. My chances of the promotion will be even slimmer. Not that I really want it, but I sure as hell don't want Jared to become my boss. Ever. Life is already difficult enough as it is. 

"You just said you don't want to do it," he says.

"I did not say that." I do not. I want to stay away from fairy tales as far as possible and keep my current life intact. But the alternative is an equally gruesome outcome. Jared having full, unchecked control over the greatest part of my life. He is already everywhere all the time. I can't take any more of that.

He arches a brow at me. "What now?"

"I – " I can't believe I'm saying this. I must be crazy. "I will do the story telling event."

"Are you sure?"

No.

"Yeah," I snap. I have to. "Now get the hell out! I have work to do."

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