The office seemed to have a thick cloud of frustration today. Everything that is said is pissing everyone else off. I was in the minority in the office I guess, I was having a great morning. I had to sneak out of his house this morning so I could get into the office but other than that I was happy. I knew it was going to be a long day, given the fact I took the entire day before off. I had a ton of marketing work to get done for Jive and I had a thousand emails to respond to. I was in for the long haul.

            It was no surprise when I got the first call from Justin in the morning. He was upset that I left without saying goodbye, but I knew he didn't want me to leave. He has said twenty times last night that he wanted me to run away with him. Seclude ourselves away from the world. But he knew I wasn't going to give up my job nor was he going to give up his. We had worked my butt of for our jobs... maybe in a few years when I was worn out with it, I would rethink my decision.

            I had four emails from Lexie, asking how everything went. Each email she gets a little more aggressive. I didn't even have a chance to finish an email back, she was calling my cell phone.

"Hello Lexie." I answered the phone.

"Emily Marie... you were supposed to call me."

"I was emailing you back right now. This is the first free minute I have had."

"I called Tracey yesterday, she told me you weren't in the office. Since when do you take days off?" She seemed irritated more than worried.

"Lexie, calm down. I took the day off in the office. I did some work from where I was."

"And where exactly was that? Because I went to your apartment, you were not there."

"I was with Justin."  I immediately get up and shut the door to my office.

"The whole night and the next day?" she seems relieved now. "Damn he must be that good you needed a day to recover."

"Actually yes," without stopping I went directly into another sentence. "And we ended up spending the day lounging around. It was nice to not worry about anything for a little bit of time."

"Wait... back up. How was the sex?"

"Lexie, seriously were not teenagers."

"We not teenagers which means we know what good sex is now..."

Knowing she would pry until she got the answers she wanted I divulged the details, "He is a genius. He knows exactly what to do and when to do it."

"Shut the fuck up, you actually slept with him."

I roll my eyes, "Yes."

She was quite.

"Lexie..."

"I just didn't expect you to actually sleep with him." She was genuinely surprised.

"Don't seem so shocked."

"I'm not... I just... I am glad to know that you are ok again."

"What's that supposed to mean."

"You just seemed so detached from life, I'm glad to see you getting out there again."

"It feels good to be out there, even if it is a small step."

"So, is he your boyfriend?"

"I think so, yes." My face turns red, I was slightly embarrassed. I was glad she couldn't see it.

"Woohhooo!!!" I could just seeing her bouncing around the room.

"Lexie, please shut up."

"Ok I will but yay! I am so happy for you."

"Enough. I have to get off the phone I have a ton of work to do."

            My inbox never seems to be empty. Justin and his snide comments about his wife have really filled my inbox. I think I typed "No Comment" nearly a hundred times over this topic. Note to self: hurt him for this. I knew that he was just being sarcastic and being funny but he knew he couldn't make comments like that.

            The afternoon staff meeting was a great place to be on a day like today. Everyone had opinions on everything. My mind was no where it needed to be. I was happy to get out of the office when I did, even if it was a little after eight. I was ready to hit the bed.

            I kicked off my shoes and removed my blazer. It was another hot day. I turned the air down to sixty five and changed into a tank top and shorts. I had to find something to eat and maybe catch some reruns of Grey's Anatomy, maybe even head to bed early tonight. Forty minutes into one of the classic reruns I decide to see if there was anything in the apartment to eat. Nothing, of course not. I guess if I was here more than four hours a day I would have something here to eat. The freezer has a bottle of 901 Tequila, a bottle of Vodka, and some ice. I guess I could have a liquid dinner. Pizza, that's what I want. I would call for a pizza.

            I picked up the phone to call for the pizza when I see that I missed a call from Justin. I look down at my watch, from an hour ago. I was not used to coming home to someone, or having to inform someone of what I was going to do. I had forgotten to call him and see if he wanted to eat or watch reruns with me. I would call him back and apologize for my stupidity.

            When the doorbell rang fifteen minutes later, my first thought was damn that was fast.  I open the door to find not a delivery guy but Chad, standing in the flesh at my front door.

"Chad, what are you doing here? How did you know where I lived?"

He reaches out to embrace me. "I have my ways. Damn you look good" He stares me up and down. "You always had great legs."

I shove him away. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see you. I was in L.A for a job and I thought it would be nice to see you... I see you are still living alone."

"I like it that way. I have always liked my space." I was still shocked that he was here, in my apartment.

"As much as I would like to catch up, I was just heading to bed."

"Oh, I can join you there. That has always been something we could agree on."

"NO. I think you should leave." I make the space even greater between us.

"You haven't changed have you? At some point Emily you have to let go of your mother's death. It can't dictate how you live the rest of your life. You need to get over this."

My face has changed from upset to irate. "My mother's death with always be a part of my life and a part of who I am... Get the fuck out of my apartment." I open my door to see Justin standing on the other side. "Justin."

"Who is this fool?" Chad asks as Justin lowers his head and turns to walk away.

"Justin, please don't go." I run down the hallway after him. "Justin, please."

He turns to look at me with tears in his eyes. "Is this why you can't let me in? Is he the reason you are so closed off? Is it because someone already holds your heart?"

"Justin. He isn't anyone to me. He has been out of my life for so long. He just stopped because he was in town... then he said some things that upset me and I demanded that he leave."

He turns quickly, "What did he say to upset you?"

"Nothing."

"Obviously it is something big or you would have asked him to leave."

I start to talk as the tears stream down my face. "He said things about my mother's death. It just hit a nerve."

His face has immediately turned to anger. "He did what?" He walks back to my apartment in a fast movement. Reaching the door all I see is Justin pinning Chad against the wall at his shoulders, screaming into his face. "...Don't you ever speak to her about her mother... Get the fuck out of here." Justin lets go of him as I see his body slight slouch from exhaustion.

Chad stands, turns to me as he is leaving., "So this is why you wouldn't let me touch you. He is the reason we don't talk anymore."

‘Chad I am happy with him. I am finally happy again... and I don't talk to you anymore because you are an ass with no compassion."

            I leave the room and get to my bedroom. I begin to sob when Justin comes in to find me. He lies on the bed next to me, rubbing my back, trying to keep me from falling to pieces.

            The doorbell rings again. I don't move. Justin gets up and answers the door, mumbling something about hurting him if he steps foot back in this apartment.

"Babe, did you order a pizza." He asks.

"Yes, can you pay for it and I will give you the money."

He leaves and returns with a pizza in hand.

"Come on, you have to eat something." He opens the box and the wave of pizza scent fills the room.

"I'm not hungry anymore. I just want to go to bed."

"Emily... get up. You are going to eat. That fool isn't worth anything... you are not going to do this because of him."

"I'm sorry... It just hurts."

"Don't be sorry over something he said. He was in the wrong. Your mother is always going to be a part of who you are. Whatever he has said... he just doesn't matter."

            I snuggled up next to him and shared my pizza with him. He willingly watches reruns of Grey's with me. It's doubtful he will ever surprise me again with a visit.