Chapter 7: The Things We Never Said
691 Words
Kathy's POV
"Why did you come back?"
Luther's question stayed in my mind long after he walked away.
I wanted to answer him.
I wanted to tell him everything.
That I never wanted to leave.
That every day for seven years, I remembered the look in his eyes when I hurt him.
That I had regretted my words more times than I could count.
But some truths were harder to say than others.
And some wounds were too deep to reopen.
I sat at my desk, staring at the computer screen without actually seeing anything.
"Kathy."
I quickly looked up.
It was Emily from Human Resources.
"Are you okay?"
I forced a smile.
"Yes. I'm just thinking about work."
She looked at me suspiciously but didn't question further.
"You have a meeting schedule to prepare for Mr. Ashford."
I nodded.
"Thank you."
After she left, I opened Luther's schedule.
It was strange seeing how different his life was now.
Seven years ago, he was just a boy with big dreams.
Now he was the CEO of one of the biggest technology companies in the city.
He had achieved everything he wanted.
I should have been happy for him.
But instead, I felt a painful emptiness.
Because I knew I was no longer part of that future.
---
Luther's POV
I watched Kathy through the glass wall of my office.
She was focused on her work, her expression serious.
She had changed.
The girl I knew was confident and fearless.
This Kathy was quieter.
More careful.
Almost as if she was afraid of making a mistake.
I looked away.
Why did I care?
She was just an employee.
That's what I kept telling myself.
But every time she entered the room, I noticed.
Every time she spoke, I listened.
And that annoyed me more than anything.
A knock came at the door.
"Come in."
My assistant entered.
"Sir, the investors are waiting."
I picked up my jacket.
"Let's go."
As I walked past Kathy's desk, I paused.
She looked up.
For a second, we simply stared at each other.
Then I looked away.
I couldn't allow myself to remember.
Not again.
---
Kathy's POV
That evening, I rushed to the hospital after work.
My mother was awake when I entered.
She smiled weakly.
"You came."
"Of course."
I sat beside her and held her hand.
For a while, we didn't speak.
The silence between us wasn't uncomfortable.
It was peaceful.
"I saw someone today," I finally said.
My mother looked at me.
"Someone from your past?"
I froze.
How did she know?
She smiled sadly.
"A mother always knows when her daughter is carrying something heavy."
I lowered my eyes.
"It was Luther."
Her expression softened.
"Luther..."
Just hearing his name from her lips brought back memories.
"He must have changed."
I gave a small laugh.
"Yes."
"Is he angry with you?"
I didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
My mother sighed.
"Kathy, sometimes the things we do to protect people can hurt them more than we realize."
My fingers tightened around hers.
I looked away.
Because those words felt too close to the truth.
---
The next day at Apex Technology, I was organizing some files when Luther called me into his office.
I knocked.
"Come in."
I entered carefully.
"You called, Mr. Ashford?"
He handed me a document.
"I need this delivered to the legal department before lunch."
"Okay."
I took it.
I was about to leave when he spoke again.
"Kathy."
I stopped.
"Yes?"
His eyes stayed on the papers in front of him.
"Do you regret it?"
My heart skipped.
"Regret what?"
He finally looked at me.
The coldness in his eyes was mixed with something else.
Pain.
"The past."
For a moment, I couldn't breathe.
There were a thousand answers inside my head.
But none of them came out.
"I..."
My voice failed me.
Luther looked away.
"Forget it."
I quietly left the office.
But as the door closed behind me, I realized something.
The past wasn't buried.
It was standing right in front of us.
And sooner or later...
We would both have to face it.
- Writer
