The Billionaire and His Intern (A Christian Romance)

Chapter 13: A Visit

Arielle laid comfortably in her bed with the leftovers of her cold lingering through her body. The random onslaught of coughs had taken her off guard and she couldn't fathom how such wonderful weather seemed to appear while she remained indoors. Even the small garden her mother had planted, just inches from her window, couldn't pull her from the warmth of her blankets.

She didn't recall being around anyone who could have gotten her sick and she hadn't remembered any germy scenario that could have caused it. Even in her yelling match with Alexander, they weren't standing close enough for any germs to fly off of him toward her. Right?

Arielle sighed and shook her head. He seemed perfectly fine when she called him and called out.

Calling out.

Arielle called out for the first time in her life. She twisted and groaned, pulling the blankets with her. She wondered if Alexander would view her as an unreliable employee because of it. While picking at her bottom lip, her mind wandered to the fast-paced machine that was the AMI tower. Everyone was constantly moving and fulfilling new assignments. She was just another cog in the wheel and it felt that she hardly kept up with them all. With the flow that seemed to exist well before she completed high school. Some days, she wondered if it was meant for her.

Yet now, there she lay, unable to go to work with a cold and wondering how backed up they may be because of her.

"I needed this," she whispered to herself while twirling a messy curly between her fingers. The frizz was beyond apparent, but she hadn't planned to fix it anytime soon.

"I need the space from him," she repeated. Her weakened voice would be difficult to hear just from a few feet away. It was clear that she was trying to convince herself and it wasn't working.

The space from Mr. Marquee was needed, but was it wanted? She didn't know. He had somehow rented a steady spot in her mind, his dark brown eyes staring back at hers even while being miles apart, and refused to leave without a gentle shove. As if he had built an oasis there, constantly inviting her to sit and talk with him. She realized that she was beginning to grow in curiosity about him.

Everything about him. What did he do as a hobby? Did he have more friends than the one she met? Who were his parents? What food did he like? He spoke so little about it all, but then again- she requested that space. She denied the invitation to dinner and she wondered if she was making the right decision.

He took a liking to her. And on days like this one, she wondered why.

"Mi hija!" Her mother sang, pulling Arielle from her thoughts, her mother's long flowing hair moved gracefully as she entered the room. A small tray rested against her hip as she balanced it and a book in her other hand. The wafting scent of breakfast leaped off of the small tray and entered Arielle's nose, earning her interest. Arielle's rushing thoughts abruptly ended- leaving her there to realize that she had once again gone on to think about him.

"Hm?" Arielle hummed, barely moving. Although her cold had mostly gone, her body felt sore with the pangs of fatigue and brain fog. She blinked many times to regain focus, but her vision blurred more instead.

Angelina sighed and set down the small devotional she had in her hand. She glanced over at her daughter. Arielle's nose was bright red, something her mother wouldn't point out, or else her daughter would likely shield it from her sight. The memory of such a reaction gained a small chuckle from Angelina. She held the full tray against her apron, waiting for her daughter to sit up properly.

She could hear Arielle's stomach grumble at the sight of the food she prepared early that morning. Her cold had barely allowed her to drink water, let alone consume entire meals, but her stomach begged for sustenance.