Chase Me

19

Life has been treating me well. It's been half a year since Milan's wedding, and since then, I've been immersed in work from the moment I stepped off the plane. Time for myself has become a luxury, and my apartment has fallen into disarray. Fortunately, I've hired a maid to keep it clean every day. It was a much-needed decision.

Aside from work, I occasionally have video calls with Zane. Yes, video calls. Our friendship has flourished and feels reminiscent of the good old days. Though we still have some healing to do, things are going smoothly for now.

We've caught up on many things, especially what happened after high school. Savannah was mentioned briefly, and Zane informed me that they ended things amicably. She's now married to a man who owns multiple fast-food chains in the country. Deep down, forgiveness for Zane's actions still eludes me, but I'm hopeful that with time, I'll be able to let go.

Leaning back in my chair, I let out a sigh as the clock struck 7:30 AM on a Monday morning. My employees began streaming into the office, and I had been here since 4 AM, working on a presentation due at 9 AM. Some days, I yearned to sleep in, but the thought of my expensive lifestyle served as a motivation to get out of bed. As my phone rang, I glanced at the screen to see who was calling.

A small smile graced my face.

"Zane." I said as I picked up my phone and beckoned my PA who just came in with coffee to place it on my desk. She was the sweetest PA I had so far. Always looking out for me and making sure I'm taking well care off.

"Amari." He answered. He sounded very cheerful today and I wondered what the occasion was. "How's my girl doing?"

I may be a full adult now, but I still get butterflies when someone calls me my girl. Especially when that someone's name starts with Zane and ends with Shaw.

"Your girl is doing amazing. She's been up since three am and is only functioning on coffee and fresh morning air."

"Amari Vasilios! What did I say about eating in the morning?,"

"That it's important bla bla bla-,"

"Don't bla bla bla me," I laughed and there was a short silence before he continued, "good thing I'm here to feed you."

I frowned my eyebrows. What did he mean by that?

"Goodness!" I exclaimed as my office door flew open and Zane barged in followed by my assistant. I was a bit taken aback by the sudden unexpected entrance. "What is going on?"

Zane smiled and said, "We just wanted to make sure you were alright and check in on how everything was going...And I brought you food."

"That's very thoughtful of you." My eyes immediately lit up at the sight of the familiar green logo and the enticing aroma of fresh pastries.

"I come bearing treats!" he announced, placing the cup and the bag on my desk.

I couldn't contain my excitement as I peeked inside the bag to find a donut and a bagel, both perfectly tempting. Zane had remembered my favorite Starbucks drink and my weakness for baked goods.

"You remembered!" I exclaimed, genuinely touched by his thoughtfulness.

He chuckled, leaning against my desk. "Of course I did. After all these years, I better know your go-to order and your favorite treats."