Twelve
Ashlynn
Okay, I've had six meetings with Justin and Trace. Do you want to know how much I've gotten done? NOTHING. Not one damn thing because everything I suggest, Justin shoots down. So, I'm sitting here, trying to come up with something so we can get this project off of the ground. But everything else has been good; Chris is good, Olivia is good. She has a new boyfriend now and I never did find out what happened to Braxton.
A few minutes later, I loose myself in my sketches and bob my head to the radio that's playing softly. My shoes are kicked off and underneath my desk and my jacket is thrown over the back of one of the chairs. I toss the colored pencil to the side and cock my head to the side as I smooth the colors together with my fingers. The fucker better like this or I swear to God, I'm gonna-
"Ashlynn?" Donna says, after knocking on the door and poking her head in.
"Yeah?"
"Uh... Mr. Timberlake is here to see you."
My eyes dart up from the paper and up to her wide eyes, "He's what?" I say in disbelief.
"He's... here... to see you."
"Like right now? We don't have another meeting until tomorrow, what is he doing here now?" I say more to myself than to her as I jump from my seat and run to grab my jacket.
"That's what I said to him, he just said that he wanted to talk to you. Do you want me to tell him that you're on a call?"
I throw my jacket on and then run back to my desk and slip into my shoes. I then strand up straight and begin tossing my hair around as I stare into the mirror on the wall, "Do I look okay?"
Donna dashes from the door and to my side in an instant, throwing the files in her hand on the desk. Her hands then go to work on my hair, pulling and pushing at it quickly, throwing some over my shoulder, "There. You ready?" She says while stepping back to inspect her work.
"Yes. Let him in, please."
As she disappears, I smooth my jacket down with my palms and then sit down and pretend to work on something. A few seconds later, Donna knocks on the door and pushes it open so Justin can enter. I take a deep breath before looking up at him and leaning back in my chair.
"Justin." I say indifferently.
"Ashlynn." He says the same way before sitting down in front of my desk.
"Would you like any coffee Mr. Timberlake? Ashlynn?" Donna asks.
"No thank you." He says, giving her a sweet smile.
I wave her off and before I know it, it's just me and Justin in that big old office. I don't like it, "So?" I say, folding my hands together.
He runs a hand through his short hair, "I uh, I just wanted to talk to you about something."
"Well, I thought our meeting was scheduled for tomorrow."
"It's not about work." He says looking me square in the eye.
I swallow harshly, not about work? What the fuck is going on right now? I clear my throat and try and stay calm, "What do you mean?"
"I just... I don't know why, but I've been thinking a lot about what you said when we were on the beach that night. And I just want to apologize to you for the way that Kim and I acted. You're right, I had no business talking to her about our situation and she shouldn't have said those things to you. And I'm sorry about being such a dick to you when it comes to our account with you. You're a great designer and I was just trying to be difficult." He sighs and leans back in the chair, keeping his dark blue eyes on me, "I'm sorry."
My mouth hangs open in disbelief as my eyes leave his and glance around the room. Did I just hear him right? He's apologizing? To me? My God, he must have slipped and bumped his head or something.
"I uh...uh... thanks?" I say, scratching my head.
He chuckles a little and places his elbows on the edge of the desk, leaning into me a little. He then starts to chew on his lip and just... looks at me. He's got something else to say but he's debating on whether or not he wants to say it.
"I feel bad." He finally says, quietly.
"About what?"
He clears his throat, "About the way I've been treating you. It's not fair and I'm sorry."
I then begin to bite my lip and suddenly, it all becomes clear to me what he's doing. I laugh a little and stand up, "You know what? You can leave."
"What?" He says, genuinely surprised.
"I don't need your pity, okay Justin? I don't need you to feel bad for me, I'm just fine."
"What are you talking about? I'm trying to-"
"No, I know what you're trying to do! You're trying to make yourself feel better because you think that you hurt my feelings. And like I just said, I don't need your pity, I don't need your apologies and I don't. need. you. Now get out." I say loudly, walking over to the door.
He stops me before I can reach the glass door, wrapping his hand around my arm and pulling my back toward him, "I'm trying to apologize because I've been treating you badly, not because I need to make myself feel better."
"I don't believe you."
"I don't want to hurt you!" He screams, letting me go, "That's why I feel bad because I don't want you to hurt anymore. For some reason, it tears me up inside because I know that I hurt you in more ways than one." He runs a hand through his hair again and steps back a little, "I don't think this business thing is gonna work out, so I'm just gonna let Trace handle it from now on."
He steps past me and walks out, leaving me speechless. My chest rises and falls harshly as I digest his words. I walk numbly back to my desk and fall into my chair as confusion begins to flood my body. I don't understand what this means, I don't know what he wants from me. I run my hand over my face but instantly begin to regret my harsh words to him.
Maybe he did mean it.
Maybe he genuinely is sorry for what he and that bitch Kim said to me. Could my life get anymore complicated? Just when I think that everything between us is just business, he goes and throws more fucking emotion into it.
Fuck me.
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