Say It

Chapter 8: Flashback

Cassies POV:

Since he doesn't work here, it's been fairly easy to dodge Lincoln all week. I really haven't been in the mood to deal with his swings of emotion. Monday was hard enough. I so badly wanted to go with them to celebrate. Landing Anna Todd as a writer is huge and I'm a big fan, but with everything going on back home, I can't just live. Because of Trey, my life was once again turned upside down. My dad saw him tailing him at Ingles (a grocery store back home). He said he quickly called the cops and tried to keep Trey busy following him down aisle after aisle, but he caught onto my dads plan and knew he was busted, so he left before they showed. And Sues swear someone was following her home yesterday night (Wednesday). I feel so terrible that my family has to deal with his antics because I"m not there. I know I'm the reason he broke out. I'm the reason he's tormenting my family. He won't stop until he finds me.

I shake the thoughts of what he would do to me from my head and try to get back to my manuscript. I've been so distracted this week that I haven't turned near as many books as I'd like and I'm sure Mr.Absent himself has noticed. Great, he's also causing problems here.

It's a great thing I'm invested in this book though. It's not usually something I would go for when it comes to books. Its supernatural crime fiction. It's about a detective who is in love with his partner. Her sister goes missing, but unbeknownst to her, the guy has visions that can be triggered by touching something of the victim. While they were searching her sister's apartment, he had a vision of her being killed. It's so damn good. The author knows how to bait a hook, that's for sure. And now that I'm out of my head, I can't seem to put it down.

'We're walking into a dark corridor that has one light just above our heads that's slowly swinging side to side as if to foreshadow the deep doom lurking in my body. The fear flowing through me not unwarranted, but also shared with Daisy, as hers is graviting towards me. I'm quick to stop her from wondering further into the dark abyss. I know the fate that had waited for her sister, and I fear it will await her if she carries on with this self-destructive suit.

"Wait Dai, we have no idea the things that await us at the end of this hall. We have to trek slowly." She grinds her teeth. A habit she's mastered in the two years she has been in homicide. The thought of caressing her face softly and removing her lips from her teeth and to stop the grinding, flashes across my mind and I know I must fight the urge. Finally, she meets my eyes again, giving me a curt nod. We carry on our stride to the end of the corridor, checking each door with our guns aimed. We reach the end. The door handle glistened with blood. And as if I was in a movie, the suspense entangles my thoughts as the crensendo is reaching it's peak. I grab the knob and turned, pulling deep breaths in and pushing them out, unaware of the horrifying scene that we couldn't be shielded from. I push the door open..'

The sudden knock at my office door pulls me from my new world and causes a little yelp to fall from my lips. Stacy rushes in with her fist close to her chest like she's ready to pounce. "Where do I swing?" she's practically bouncing around, her eyes searching every inch of the place looking for some intruder. I softly giggle and her eyes meet mine. "What?.. You aren't being murdered in here?" I shake my head giggling a little louder this time. Her mouth falls into an 'O' as she walks a little farther now that the "threat" has been neutralized.

"Sorry, I was reading this book and it's a little suspenseful. Your knock frightened me a slightly." She smiles and takes a seat in front of my desk. "So what can I do for you?"

"Oh right." She clasps her hands together, remembering why she's here. "I partly came to check on you. I noticed you hadn't left for lunch, so really you could have been murdered." She laughs at her joke playing on the recent incident but my laugh comes more forced. Though I know she's not serious, just like my manuscript, it feels like a foreshadow of my impending doom.

"And the other reason?"

"Right, Li-" she clears her throat. "The boss would like to see you."

"Mr.Absent himself would like to FINALLY meet me?" I dramatically place my hands over my chest and gasp. "Wow. I'm honored. Glad I didn't place a bet, I definitely thought it would be a month before we met." Her smirk is all knowing and I can't help the feeling that she wasn't telling me something, but I shrug it off standing by my desk. I comb my hands over my black double v-neck lace bandage dress that I wore today. Once satisfied, I slip on my black chunky heels and walked out with Stacy following behind. I'm glad I decided to dress nicely today. "So.. why now? I mean, have I done something wrong to make him want to meet today?" I ask her, but I figure I already know the answer. Still, I'd rather know before I get there.

"I'm not a hundred percent sure. I know he said a mix of things. Wanting to finally meet you and something about the manuscripts you've worked on this week." She looks down to her phone, not before throwing me a shrug.

"I'm shooting him a text to let him know we are on the way." A text? They are really informal.

"Have y'all slept together Stacy?" She begins choking on air, or her own spit, I'm not sure which. I stop and turn. She holds her finger up to meet me while she's coughing. Her laughing probably not making it better. "Are you okay? Was that to personal?"

She shakes her head, eventually able to calm her laughter and breathing. "No, we have NOT slept together. We will never, in this lifetime or the next, sleep together. Not even if we were the last two people on earth. Not even if it were life or death.Not-"

"Okay I get it." I started heading back to the elevator. "Is he that insufferable?" I started wringing my hands together in my nervous state. I think of the idea of him being insufferable and me already slacking behind on my second week here. Trey sure knows how to worm his way into all the crevices of my life.

"Sometimes," She chuckles, stopping beside me to wait for the elevator. She finally notices my anxious demeanor and speaks up. "Oh no! Hey," She places a quick hand on my shoulder. "I'm totally kidding. He's a great guy. Honestly. If he weren't, I would not work here. We just have a love-hate relationship."

We walk in and I nod at her, but still the nerves harbor in my body. We head up just two more floors, the 6th. She walks us past his assistant and to a large door on the left. "Wow, it's huge up here."

"Oh yeah. He even has a personal restroom in his office and a couch." I only nod. Really not sure of what to say. She knocks, but hears no answer. "he must be in the restroom. Come on."

She opens the door and leads me in and she was right; this place is enormous. For an office at least. There is plenty of room to move around. His desk sits off in the corner of the room, sideways at the large window over seeing part of the town. That's probably why it sits side ways, so he can see the door and the view. Unlike the rest of the building though, his office is a little on the darker side. The walls seem a dark navy color and everything that accents it is black or grey.

"He seems like the dark brooding type."

"Actually, the darkness calms him." My head jerks around to meet the sweet voice I've missed all week. The lips I've longed for, just to taste them again. But of course, how could I forget about his perfect smirk. Asshole.

Why is he here? "Why are you here?" I cross my arms, leaning on one leg to emphasize my displeasure at the man in front of me.

"Well, I'll leave you to talk."

Lincolns POV:

Stacy texted me on their way up to warn me. Also, to let me know, Cassie looked irresistibly delicious. Well, those weren't exactly her words, but looking at her sweet round ass or her cherry curved hips in that tight black dress is actually how she looks. I definitely want a bite of that cherry. Her hickory hair pulls tight in a neat bun on her head with loose strains falling around her face. When I finally speak after letting her take in my office, she whips her head around. Confusion and lust fighting against one another to hold domain on her beautiful face.

"Well, I'll leave you to talk." Stacy says, giving me a quick wink before taking her leave. I roll my eyes at sisters wild suggestions.

I turn back to Cassie who is still staring at me with confusion and now anger, as the lust has been replaced. I smile at her and walk to my desk and motion for her to take a seat. She hesitates before obliging and taking a seat. I shuffle around some papers on my desk and tuck them away. She huffs, folding her tiny arms over her large chest, irritated that I'm not giving her answers. I look up and if looks could kill, no doubt I'd be a goner. I extend my hand for her to shake. She has been complaining about the boss not meeting her, so I want to make sure I don't mess this experience up for her. She stares between my hand and my eyes, trying to read the situation, ultimately shaking my hand. Once her hand connects to mine, I introduce myself. "Thank you for meeting with me, Ms.Beyers." Her face is a priceless one. "I'm Lincoln Greene." I pull my hand from hers and watch as if her world is unraveling. At first, she doesn't catch on, still very unaware of what's happening right now. But once I sit back in my chair, the realization spreads across her face. Her hand hits the desk as her mouth pops open. Her wide eyes showcasing everything she's thinking in the moment.

Slowly she falls back, allowing her back to trust the chair she's in. But suddenly, like a light switch, she flips to anger and stands to begin pacing in front of my desk. I didn't expect this, but still, I lean back further and muse in the moment. She's so sexy when she's frustrated. Her tiny hands encased on the sides of her head and her small black heels clonking all over my hardwood floor. Her breath erratic for all the wrong reasons. I push my sensual musing away and go to stand in front of her. I softly but firmly grip her shoulders to halt her movements. "Breathe, Cassie."

Her wide eyes still staring at me as she controls her breathing. "You.. boss." is all she musters up. Her face falls into her hands and does something I didn't expect either. She laughs. Not a cute "oh you're so funny" laugh. It's hard. She moves her hands and just looks at me while laughing, so I join her. She walks back to the chair and takes a seat and I sit beside her. "Of course you're the boss."

"Why didn't you tell me?" she pauses before her eyes widen again. "Oh my.. I said some awful things about you. Why would you let me continue to think those things about you?"

"Because I thought it was funny."

Her smile falters " So I was just a joke to you and clearly everyone else who knew."

I grabbed hold of her hand to gain her attention. "Hey, no! okay? You were not a joke at all. I just found it incredibly charming that you were so comfortable speaking your mind. And also funny that you had no clue I was your boss, but not once did I think of you as a joke." I sigh when she still doesn't look at me. "I wanted to see how long it would take you to figure out," I run my hand through my hair. "but after I acted like an ass this weekend and you basically ignored me all week, I couldn't continue on with it. I wanted to see you and I didn't want to just show up at your office." I look out the window, staring at the eloquent city and smile. "I needed to make a 'first' impression." When I look back, I'm met with the beautiful smile I've loved from the moment it first time it appeared in that grocery store.

Her eyes widen again as she chuckles. "You definitely made an impression." Finally, it feels like the tension is gone as we share this laugh and I think we are back on the right track.

"I'm truly sorry I didn't tell the truth to begin with, but as I've told you before, it's so nice to hear someone be so honest and not care about hiding the truth for the sake of your feelings." She nods, clearly understanding the truth behind my words.

"Don't apologize. I am... glad you kept it going. Honestly, it's funny. I said so many bad things about you." Still nodding her head staring at the edge of my desk. " "Incompentent, rich boy with no degree, pooterish," Cassie gasp for air to continue her mooking. "Oro," She snorts, only laughing harder. "Orotun----d." She's now hysterically laughing. Her elbows rests on her thighs with her face buried deep in her hand.

Pooterish Orotund. What, is she from the 20th century? I only watch in amazement, momentarily joining the laughter.

"Pooterish Orotund?" The foolish words escape my lips causing her to gasp once again, nodding her head. "When the hell did you call me that?" Suddenly she stops and looks at me bewildered.

"I forgot, I didn't say that one to you." She remains pauses for a second longer and burst in a fit of giggles at her unintentional confession.

"You are absolutely something else, Cassie Beyers." Her smile remains, but the giggles stop. Only a few breathy ha's leave her mouth. I stand and walk back around to the other side of my desk. "So, first thing, you are a fantastic reader and editor. It's only your second week and already Corvan Masters is praising you. He is the hardest author I've ever worked with and he mentioned that you heard everything he said and without ignoring his concerns, you were able to make suggestions that didn't cause a complete melt down." She blushes a bit, looking down at her hands.

"Thanks. I'm not that great. I could just tell he felt unheard." Her confidence returns and she meets my eyes. "Corvan has been around publishing houses long before GHP was here and maybe long after. He has been given every run around that this industry could offer, so he knows what he does and doesn't like."

"Well, you saved us a profitable client. He said this was his last go with us before he found someone new and you really showed out. He was so impressed, he made a donation to business, promised to have THREE chapters by the end of the month, AND only wants to ever work with you from here on out."

She smiles widely, then sucks her bottom lip between her teeth. Before I have time to imagine her biting her plush lip while she unravels underneath me, she pulls it out and open smiles at me again. "I hope that okay?" I half ask. Masters is a load of work and I don't want to throw her under the proverbial bus that is Corvan Masters. She might run for the literal hills.

"Are you kidding? Thats absolutely okay. I lover Masters. Wild and unprotected is one of my favorite crime series." Her perfectly honey brown eyes light up. "I was honored he was willing to throw me a bone. Especially now." Throw her a bone?

Now for the part I've been bugging out about. I didn't think much into her actually dealing with something this past weekend until yesterday. She has barely turned in two manuscripts this week. No, she doesn't really need a number of them turned in, but considering last week she had turned in three by Wednesday, I in part expected the same this week. And Stacy informed me she had either been leaving super late for lunch or not going at all. Said that when she does finally leave, she seems so zoned out she almost forgets where she is. The only day that was normal was Monday, and even by that afternoon something seemed off. So I made it my mission to find out whats going on.

"So, my other bit of business I need to discuss." Suddenly, the giggly-care-free woman that was just here has vanished into a much more serious and formal version. "Not that I have a set amount you absolutely need turned in by the end of the week, however, I can see a decline in your work already."

Cassies POV:

Fuck, f**k, f**k. He's noticed. He realizes I've sucked major butt this week and I have no way to hide it. At least if Lincoln hadn't been my boss, I could get a way with a white lie of not feeling well, but Lincoln. I don't think I can lie to him. "I-um, I have just-"

My words are fumbling and I'm sure- No, I know that I sound like a hot mess.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm not here to fuss at you or stress you. I simply want to know if you're doing okay?" He half states, half asks. It sounds crazy, but that small gesture means more than he could realize. Don't get me wrong, my dad, Sues, and Claudia have asked me all week long that very question, and I know they are concerned, but they are more afraid of what I'll harm myself. The concern laced in his voice is just different. I don't know how to explain it. It's sympathy, but more empathetic. He understands something has deluged my mental and emotional state, but can I really express that with him yet?

"You told me this past weekend that something had come up." He paused, surely waiting for my answer to his non-question. "Cassie, I want to help, but I can't if you don't tell me." So much for keeping my secrets mine. I want to answer him but after a few more moments of silence he speaks again. "I need to know. It's not personal when it's affecting your work." And slap me in the face.

Here I thought he truly cared that my psycho ex-boyfriend broke out of jail to find me. No, dear Lincoln, like every pompous jackass, only cares about his far too deep pockets. I push the chair out and stand. "Well, Mr.Greene," He's confused and taken aback by my change in mood and stands with me. "When you claim to "want to help", make sure money is not your motive. First, no need to worry, I'll work over the weekend to make up for my lack. Second, thank God I only see you occasionally because the people who tolerate you on a daily basis are the true heroes." His eyebrows raise slightly as his mouth gapes. Neither of us paying no mind to the office door opening. "You really should come with a warning label, Lincoln." I turn and begin walking away, then stop to face him for one last insult. "But don't worry, I'll ignore you so hard, you'll start doubting your own existence."

I start walking once more, scraping past the person who entered, catching the ass end of me telling Lincoln how horrible he was. "Human version of period cramps." I mumble along with my other rambles and hear a deep male chuckle as I bolt to the elevator. Looking at my phone I realize it's past 3 and I really don't give a damn this week. I make it back to my office and grab my things. I need food and a drink, fast. I speed back to the elevator.

"Where are you going? What happened?" Stacy asked me. I tap my foot impatiently waiting for the ding. When it finally does, I turn to Stacy and ask:

"Was he born stupid or did he take lessons?" Her grin spreads like fire and, before she can answer, the doors close, leading me closer to my daily dose of freedom.