Fated to Her, chapter three

Eli I can hear them talking in the kitchen before hearing footsteps. Cyrus walks in, stripping his clothes off. He stinks heavily of Troy.

I move over, letting him in before grabbing the loofah, lathering it in soap, and rubbing it on his chest, trying to rid the scent. He wets his face and hair. “Addie?”

I ask. “On the lounge with a coffee,” he says, reaching behind me and grabbing the shampoo from the niche.

“Everything taken care of now?”

“Yes. Troy handed in his resignation, so we don’t have to fire him. I told him he would have a sexual harassment claim out against him if he showed back up and that we had surveillance footage.”

I nod. “Maya?”

“She is fine. I drove them home in Addie’s car and explained everything to Debbie.”

“How did Debbie take that?”

“Just said ‘good.’ Apparently, Taylor has complained to her about him.”

“I wonder why none of them put a complaint in about him. We would have made it stop,”

I tell him. “He was in a position of power. Who would they complain to? Him? We aren’t here enough, and I doubt any of them would come up and approach us about such things anyway,”

Cyrus says, but that only angers me. Women should be able to come to work and feel safe. “Bella could handle his job. She is a smart girl and overqualified for her position,”

Cyrus says. “You want to give Troy’s job to her?”

I ask him, and he does have a point. Bella is more than qualified for his job. We were a little shocked when she applied to be a secretary but didn’t think much of it.

“I will speak to her tomorrow. Taylor has proven quite capable of running the front desk. She could probably do it herself. Not exactly hard answering phones and giving directions.”

I nod. “Addie?”

“What do you mean?” he says, rinsing the shampoo out of his hair.

I run my hand across his chest, marveling at how perfect his body is, packed full of hard muscle. His eyes open, and he grabs my hand. “No… I actually thought that may have been why she collapsed yesterday. She has been in heat for weeks and picking up on us.”

“You think us fooling around, she felt it, and it overwhelmed her?”

I ask him, yet it does make sense in a way. “Maybe,” he answers, letting my hand go.

“Addie wants to go home,”

I tell him while stepping out and grabbing a towel. “She said that. And you don’t want her to, obviously,”

Cyrus says. Of course, I don’t want her to go home. She belongs with us.

“It’s not about what we want. She isn’t comfortable with us,”

I tell him, and he raises an eyebrow at my words. “You have changed your tune,”

Cyrus says, shutting the water off and grabbing a towel. “I don’t want to lose her. She scared me today. I haven’t seen her like that before.”

Cyrus nods in agreement. “She would have killed him. She wanted to,”

I tell him. “Can you blame her? Taylor is her sister. And after Sam—”

“We can’t force her home,”

I tell him. “So, what do you want to do?”

“Wait here for her. Hope she eventually wants to be with us,”

I tell him, walking into the bedroom. I grab some jeans and a black shirt, pulling them on before walking out. Cyrus follows behind me as we make our way to the living room, only to find her asleep on the armchair.

“Should we just leave her? She is already asleep.”

I shake my head. “I promised to take her home.”

Her coffee’s gone cold on the coffee table. Cyrus picks it up and puts it in the sink. “Addie?”

I whisper, shaking her shoulder, but she is out cold. Cyrus comes over and shrugs, wanting to let her sleep. Instead, I pick her up.

“She is asleep, Eli.”

“I promised to take her home,”

I tell him, and he groans but goes and grabs the car keys. She shivers, and I grab the throw blanket off the back of the couch, draping it on her before walking toward the front door. Cyrus opens the back door of the car, and I climb in the back, leaving her on my lap, not wanting to wake her.

“Seatbelt?”

Cyrus says, but I shut the door. He gets in the front. “Are you planning on crashing?”

I ask him. “Not with her in the car, no,” he answers before starting the engine.

Addie wriggles in my arms, moving before pressing her face to my neck. She moans softly, and I see Cyrus look at us in the rearview mirror. “Is she hot?” he asks, and I nod before kissing her forehead.

Cyrus drives us to her house. The car stops, and he opens the back door for me. Cyrus rummages through her handbag, finding her house keys.

He s the door. The house is dark, and the only light is coming from the hallway up the stairs. We walk upstairs, and I see Debbie’s door open and her lamp on.

Stopping at the door, she gets up, tossing the blanket back. “Is she asleep?” she asks.

I nod, and Debbie walks out, opening Addie’s door for me. She then goes to talk to Cyrus while I place her in bed, except she doesn’t let my shirt go. Cyrus walks in, prying her fingers off, and I lay her down.

Her entire body shudders, and she starts shaking in her sleep. “She does that. I check her every night. She is always shaking,”

Debbie says, touching her head. Her face becomes flushed. “Cyrus said it’s called heat?” she asks.

“Yes,”

I tell her, reaching down and pressing the back of my hand to her head to feel her burning up again. She stops shaking, and Debbie stares at her daughter. The trembling starts again as soon as I move my hand off her.

“Can’t you stay with her? She hardly sleeps. I hear her in the shower and pacing the house all the time,” she says worriedly.

“She might be angry if she wakes up with us here,”

I tell her. “I get up before her. I can wake you before she gets up.”

Debbie almost sounds desperate, making me wonder exactly how badly she has been suffering from this heat for her mother to be so worried and observant. “Please. Maybe if she gets decent sleep, she will get better.”

I look at Cyrus, who shrugs, letting me decide. I nod, climbing into bed with her. “I will wake you when I get up for work,” she says.

“Make sure you do, or I am blaming you,”

I tell her, and she chuckles, walking out and shutting the door. Cyrus carefully lifts her and places her on my chest before lying next to me. My body relaxes, and she moves, sprawling across me like a lizard sunning itself on a rock, a content noise coming from her as she sleeps peacefully and her breathing evens right out. * * * Adeline Waking, I am surprised to find myself in my bed.

For the first time in ages, I feel like I have actually slept soundly. I didn’t wake up once during the night. Though the heat is still there, it is a little more bearable today.

I am more surprised that Eli’s kept his word and took me home even while I was asleep. Getting up, I quickly grab my clothes and race to the bathroom to shower and do my make-up. Hearing Taylor’s voice when she sings out to Maya sends shock waves through me, forcing the events of yesterday to resurface.

Taylor walks in, dabbing foundation on her face before putting lipstick on. “You look better today,” she comments, and I stare at her.

She really has no memory of yesterday. I know it shouldn’t shock me because I know Cyrus has done it before, but knowing he is the only reason I am not currently in jail makes it really hit home, showing how much influence vampire voodoo has over people. “Yeah, I feel better,”

I admit. She walks to the bathroom door, sticking her head out. “Maya, shoes and socks now. We are going to be late,” she yells down the hallway.

“I am,”

I hear Maya yell back at her, making me smirk at her tone. We drop Maya at school before stopping and grabbing coffee. Taylor orders Bella one, and I grab Eli and Cyrus theirs, seeing as I have no doubt they plan on sticking around just to annoy me.

I hold the cup trays while she drives before waiting for her to hop out so I can pass them to her. Climbing out of the car and grabbing one of them off her, I follow her inside, only to stop in the foyer, staring at the floor where Troy’s body has been lying saturated in blood. “Addie?”

My heart races as I stare at the floor. “Addie?”

My hands become clammy, and I feel a bead of sweat run down my neck, the look of his smashed face haunting my vision. Suddenly a hand touches my lower back. “Your sister is calling your name,” comes Cyrus’s voice next to my ear, and I look up.

“You okay? You zoned out. I was calling your name,” she says, staring at me when I see Bella walk around the desk and take a seat.

“First time I have seen Troy late,” says Bella, looking around for him.

I swallow when I feel Cyrus’s hand go under the back of my blouse, his hand coming in contact with my skin. His fingers are rubbing circles on my back, and I feel my body relax, the tension leaving, making me focus on his fingers instead. “This mine?” he asks, pointing to one of the cups, pulling me from my daze.

“Yes, that one,”

I answer, looking around for Eli before looking up at him. “Upstairs already,”

Cyrus says, and I nod. “Bella, Eli wants to see you after lunch,”

Cyrus says. Her face pales. “Why?” she squeals out.

“Say, twelve-thirty?”

Cyrus says, looking at her, and she nods quickly. Cyrus pulls me toward the elevator. We step inside, and his hand leaves my back, and he steps away.

He hits the button to our floor, and the doors close. “You look better today,” he says, and I nod.

“You okay?” he asks.

“Yep, it was weird walking back here after yesterday.”

“You don’t need to worry about Troy, Addie. He won’t be back here.”

I nod. “Why do you want to speak to Bella? You’re not firing her, are you?”

“Bella? No. With Troy gone, we need a new manager for that floor,” he says.

“You’re promoting her,”

I say with a big grin on my face. She deserves it. Half the time, Troy had her doing his job anyway, especially regarding rosters and payments.

He always used to slide them on her desk to do them. “She will like that, but you could have told her. She will be sweating all day thinking she is getting fired,”

I tell him, and he seems thoughtful for a second. The elevator doors open, and we step out. Eli is sitting on the end of my desk.

“You look well-rested,”

Eli says, making me roll my eyes. Seriously what is with everyone commenting on my sleep today? I don’t look any different than usual.

“Coffee,”

I tell him, passing him his cup and ignoring his statement. “Sleep well?” he asks with a smirk on his face.

“Yes, I did, and thank you for taking me home.”

“You’re welcome. I have a meeting in half an hour if you want to sit in for it.”

“Do I have to?”

They don’t usually get me to sit in on their meetings. “I would like you to. It is a staff meeting.”

“Staff meeting?”

I am a little shocked. Usually, any kind of work announcement is done by email. “Yes, we let a few things slip that need to be addressed,” he says, stepping closer.

His scent wafts to my nose and makes my mouth water. Why do they have to smell so good? It isn’t fair.

I lean in to inhale his scent when I feel his hand touch my face, shocking me out of my weird trance. My face tingles with the warmth of his hand. “I’ll come to your meeting,”

I tell him before stepping away. His hand drops back to his side, and he sighs before turning on his heel and walking to his office along with Cyrus. I turn my computer on and check a few emails before Cyrus’s phone buzzes on my desk.

A text message is sent to everyone’s phone for an emergency meeting in Boardroom 3. It is the largest in the building, more like a hall, and is mostly used for functions. Eli and Cyrus step out of their offices.

“Addie, are you still coming with us?”

I nod, getting up and making my way over to them. Eli has a folder full of papers tucked in his arm. We make our way to the third floor to see people filing into the boardroom.

Even the security guards are attending, meaning they will have had to lock the building up while everyone is in the meeting. The crowd of people parts as Eli and Cyrus walk in, heading toward the stage. Cyrus grabs my hand, tugging me after him, and I see Bella and Taylor looking around nervously as they sit at the front.

I go to sit next to them when Eli calls me over. “Hand these out for me, please,” he says, handing me a folder of papers.

I nod before turning back to everyone as they take their seats. I open the folder to see it full of pamphlets on workplace bullying and sexual harassment. I look up at them, but Eli is too busy eyeing the crowd of people.

There are roughly 250 people crammed into the room, and those are only the ones rostered on today. I start handing handfuls of papers to the first person in each row, telling them to pass them down the line. “It has come to our attention that some employees have been acting inappropriately toward their colleagues. So, in light of this information, you are all here to be warned that inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated.”

I see Cyrus fiddling with the projector before pulling a screen down on the wall behind Eli. He then goes on to tell them that an anonymous drop box will be set up in an office that only he and Cyrus will have access to, and the main floor manager—hopefully, Bella if she accepts the promotion. A mail slot will be put in the door with a box, so anyone with any complaints or even suggestions to improve things around the workplace can use it.

Those using it won’t be singled out as the box will serve two purposes. They then make everyone watch a few workplace bullying and harassment videos, explaining what is and isn’t appropriate behavior. I watch a few people become nervous, and a few women have smirks on their faces as they outright stare at some of the men.

But it isn’t just the men. The women working here can also become quite catty toward each other. Even a few women I know personally are bitches and known to sling threats or names at others are also sinking in their seats.

By the time the meeting is over, it is almost lunchtime. Eli eventually dismisses everybody, the room clearing quickly. I walk over to Taylor, knowing we usually have lunch together, when Eli calls Bella over.

She looks at me nervously, and I give her a reassuring smile before she follows him. Cyrus, however, comes over to Taylor and me. “Come, I want to show you something we had done while the meeting was on,” he says.

We follow him to the foyer. He takes us downstairs to the ground floor before walking us to the office Maya is usually in after school. Only it has been completely transformed.

Colorful pictures hang on the wall, and there are toys, a drawing station, egg chairs, and even a daybed. “Your mother told us you would have to pick up Maya more soon. That her shifts are changing again.”

Taylor nods, looking into the kids’ play area. “Well, now she has somewhere to play while you work, and I will give you the key since you’re always down here anyway. So, anyone coming in with kids has somewhere they can play.”

Taylor nods. “We have also organized a driver to pick her up, so you don’t have to use your lunch break anymore,”

Cyrus tells her. “You did this for Maya?”

Taylor says, quite shocked. “Yes, she is our niece,” he says, looking at me.

I am a little stumped at his words, but it also makes my heart do little backflips that they consider my family theirs. “It can be used by anyone if they have to bring in their kids,” he says, handing her the key.

She takes it before hugging him. “Thank you,” she says, stepping back before realizing what she has done.

“Shit, no contact. I’m sorry. I know we just watched that whole thing on harassment—”

Cyrus laughs at her, and so do I. “I’m just going to be quiet now,” she says, her cheeks turning red.

Suddenly the elevator doors open, and Bella comes running out excitedly, squealing. She starts running toward Taylor before spotting Cyrus, calming herself down, and straightening her blouse like a sophisticated lady. “What are you so excited about?”

Taylor asks. “Troy got fired, and Bella is replacing him,”

Cyrus tells her, and Bella can’t keep the happy smile off her face. “Awesome. Can’t say I am sad to see him go, but yay,”

Taylor tells her, joining Bella in her excitement. “Come have lunch with us?”

Cyrus asks, grabbing my hand as we step into the elevator. The doors close, yet all I can think about is his hand touching me. His manly scent fills the elevator.

How are their scents so much stronger to me now? Like my senses are consumed with them and them only. I step closer to him, the overwhelming urge to touch him, any part of him, making me feel extremely hot and bothered.

Pain washes over me, and the painful throbbing between my legs and pelvis returns with a vengeance. Cyrus pulls me to him, wrapping his arm around me. “Addie?”

Cyrus says. “It will go. I just need a sec,”

I tell him, and I feel him nod before his lips press against my head. The elevator doors open, and I hear the familiar bing, making me step away. My entire body is burning the moment I do.