#8 - Falling For My Assignment
1225 Words
Grayson
Information was control.
I had tons of it, yet I felt none of the damned control I needed.
Apparently, I hadn't been in control for six years. If I had, I would have known about her. About them both.
I glared at the half empty bottle of scotch sitting on my office's mini bar, the truth of that stinging.
Why the bloody hell wasn't the alcohol kicking in?
I raked my hair, cursing the fact that I was still too alert, too sober to face the reminder that I had failed. Again.
"I took the liberty of looking into the article."
At Rodger's voice, I filled my glass and marched back to my seat, bracing for impact.
My P.I. had suggested I take a moment to digest my new father status before we could continue. That alone had set me more on edge and barely hours later—I had called him back, too angst to hear what else he had to say. And because it was either that or going to Elaine's. I didn't trust myself with the latter at the moment.
The article. He didn't need to say more—I already knew exactly which one he meant. I just did not expect that to be part of this conversation.
"And?" I asked, gripping my glass harder.
Rodger let out a low laugh.
I arched a brow at him, keeping my annoyance at bay. I knew him well enough to know he wouldn't find anything about that article funny.
"I'm not a believer in fate—"
Yeah, me neither.
"But did you know that you were nothing more than her class assignment?"
I blinked. Whatever I had expected him to say about the damned thing that had almost destroyed me six years ago, it wasn't that. "A class assignment?"
"Believe it or not the article was meant to be nothing but her final-year feature assignment."
I was sure Rodger's announcement was meant to make me feel better somehow, but something coiled tight in my gut. That would mean Elaine had been studying me... my life... for months before we met.
Wait. Had she been stalking me, then? Was our accidental meeting not accidental at all? Had I been that easy, that predictable to her? I gripped my glass tighter, the thought of having fallen into such a trap stirring my annoyance. It didn't even matter that I wanted her more than anything.
But then... where did our daughter fit into all this?
A better trap? Tying me to her for life instead of a once off paycheck?
And had she been keeping her from me, waiting for the perfect moment to take her revenge?
Revenge?
Was that what it was all about?
Anger flared as plans to counter whatever Elaine may have planned began forming in my head.
"I know that look," Roger observed, snapping me out of the offending thoughts. "Contrary to what you are thinking, her research was purely professional. Your bumping into each other had nothing to do with it."
What?
"How can you be so sure?" I growled.
"Because I have her research history."
Of course he did. But did that matter?
"It's actually quite a shame she had to give it up."
Except she didn't just give it up.
I shifted in my seat, listening to Roger speak. "Someone with her skills would flourish under my wings."
I barely kept my jaw from dropping. "You'd consider mentoring Elaine?" He'd trust her?
"In a heartbeat," he grinned. "Naturals like her are almost a phenomenon in our field."
Which also meant that in Rodger's book, she was a total package. Trust worthy.
Damn.
"Tell me about this class assignment," I gritted out, hating all the feelings washing over me. It had been one bloody day and Elaine was already upsetting everything—just like the first time we met.
"Yeah, because she was hell-bent on proving herself, she picked the most difficult subject she could find." Rodger held up a sheet of paper to the screen.
Grayson Adrian Frost— The Interesting Billionaire No One Knows About.
"What is that?" I frowned at the title.
"I believe that was her original title. Before it changed." He flipped the paper over to reveal a new one.
"Grayson Adrian Frost—An Enigma With a Heart Soul Deep."
Shivers ran down my spine just reading it.
An Enigma. A heart. Soul...depth.
I had none of those things.
And she thought she could pass with it?
The irony.
"I wonder why she changed it." He mused, though we both knew he wasn't really asking. He wanted me to figure it out.
"Would you like to read it?"
Would I like to read how she'd dug into my life, took it apart, made sense of things that I'd struggled to make sense of and left it in the world to break me?
"I'm making a disclaimer that it's quite different from the version you've seen before. And... very insightful." Rodger shot me a meaningful look and when I said nothing, he smiled. "I insist."
A new email flashed on my screen. I glared at the subject 'Read it'.
"It might give you some perspective." Rodger said, then logged off with a parting smile.
"Perspective," I scoffed. I'd had enough of that the first time I saw the article, I didn't need—
I froze at the first line after clicking on the attachment.
"I think I'm falling for my assignment."
A confession.
It was scribbled right at the top, followed by a string of hearts and a date.
My heart fluttered in my chest, my fingers brushed my lips. That was the day I kissed her and my world went up in flames.
Hell, everything was going up in flames with me right now.
I shifted in my seat, eyes skimming over the words.
"Grayson Adrian Frost—An Enigma With a Heart Soul Deep."
Shivers ran down my spine still.
Then...
Grayson: a man, a world, a force... fascinating —
I blinked at her words. More than praise... a phenomenon. Me.
Jesus.
I wanted to brush them off. Scoff at them, but with each word, it was like peeking right into her soul. Her raw, unfiltered, desperately gentle and beautiful soul that was falling for broken old me, painting me in a mesmerising light I would have never chosen for myself even if I'd been my own creator.
I let out a heavy breath, fingers running down my face.
This needed savouring.
I let out a chuckle at my thoughts. I wasn't even one to savour my own food.
She'd been falling for me...
Why was I still here?
Shutting my laptop, I shot to my feet and dialed the one person familiar with mine and Elaine's story.
My best friend picked up on the first ring.
"Dante?" I breathed, not caring that I sounded desperate. Worked up. The moment I'd called my head of security and best body guard about watching over Elaine, he'd known it was more than work. "Did you find her?"
"Yes. I'm right at her cabin."
"Cabin?" I frowned. I thought she'd have opted for a hotel.
"She's in the Sunny cabin," he reported.
"Wait—what?" My heart pounded. "As in Frost Renew's Sunny cabin. That cabin?"
"You happen to be neighbours, Sir."
Holy hell.
- Writer
