Chapter Eight: Oceans Apart
703 Words
Chapter Eight: Oceans Apart
Rachel had been back in the Philippines for a week. Her hometown was as warm and noisy as ever, but this time, it offered her something she hadn’t felt since she left—comfort.
Her father’s accident had shaken her. Seeing him in a hospital bed, his foot wrapped and elevated, tubes connected to machines, reminded her how fragile everything really was. She didn’t care that the doctor said it was just a broken bone, a clean fracture that would heal in a few months. Just the thought of what could have happened was enough to keep her at his side, bringing him food, chatting to lift his spirits, and taking over her mother’s chores while her father recovered.
She kept herself busy. Cooking. Cleaning. Visiting the hospital. But no matter how many distractions she piled up, her mind kept drifting to New York.
To the man she had left in bed.
To the silence that followed.
Nathaniel.
She wondered how he was taking it. Or if he was thinking of her at all.
Back in New York, Nathaniel Kingsley was not doing well.
He was usually a man of routine—sharp, calculated, in control. But since Rachel left, his mornings started with frustration, and his nights ended in confusion. He’d glance at the empty desk outside his office and feel a strange hollowness.
It was ridiculous. It had been one night. A stupid, reckless, heated night.
So why did it feel like he’d been abandoned?
He tried to shake it off. Dived into work. Held meetings. Reviewed proposals.
But nothing filled the space she left behind.
By the end of the week, he gave up and called his old friends—Eli and Marcus. They met at a rooftop bar, the kind they used to frequent in their college days.
Whiskey was poured, laughter floated in the air, and Nathaniel, for once, didn’t pretend everything was fine.
“She left,” he said bluntly, nursing his glass.
“Who?” Marcus asked.
“My secretary.”
Eli raised an eyebrow. “The pretty one? Rachel?”
Nathaniel nodded.
“And…?”
Nathaniel sighed. “We… had a night.”
The reaction was immediate. Logan spit out his drink, laughing, and Marcus leaned forward with a grin.
“Hold on,” Eli said. “You slept with your secretary? The same one who’s been glaring at you like you kicked her dog ever since she got hired?”
Nathaniel gave him a hard look. “It just happened.”
Marcus leaned back, chuckling. “So what’s the problem? You got lucky. Enjoy it.”
“I don’t think she sees it that way,” Nathaniel muttered.
“Oh damn,” Logan said, piecing it together. “Did she ask for a raise or a payout?”
“No,” Nathaniel said. “She just left. Requested a leave. Didn’t even bring it up.”
The silence was brief before they both burst into laughter.
“Oh man,” Marcus said between laughs. “Maybe she’s just not that into you.”
Nathaniel’s jaw clenched.
“Maybe you were just a drunken regret,” Eli added, poking fun.
Something inside Nathaniel snapped.
He slammed his glass down a little too hard, drawing looks from nearby tables.
“She didn’t regret it,” he said coldly. “I know she didn’t.” then a smirk formed in his lips.
The laughter faded. Marcus and Eli exchanged a glance.
“Okay, man. Chill. We’re just messing with you,” Marcus said.
But Nathaniel couldn’t shake it. That night hadn’t felt one-sided. He remembered every touch, every sigh, every unspoken word in the dark.
She wanted him. He felt it. She was hungry for him.
So why did she leave like it meant nothing?
The thought stuck at him.
He wasn’t used to being ignored. Or forgotten. Or left.
He knows her excuse for a leave but he doesn't know why he bought it.
And now, the longer she stayed away, the more twisted the feeling in his chest became.
She’ll come back, he told himself. And when she does...
A slow smirk crossed his lips.
She’ll pay for this.
- Writer
