The Hate In His Eyes

CHAPTERTHREE:The call

AVALINE'S POV

I slammed the door shut behind me when I got to my apartment. Kate was already back and I could hear her footsteps in the kitchen. Kate is my roommate and best friend. She's a model,tall,golden and effortless. She comes from a rich family and unlike me she is wild and does whatever she chooses. Her family has tried countless times to make her go home and join the family business but she wouldn't. She enjoyed her independence more than anything.

I took off my shoes and plopped on the couch in the living room. I was so tired and my feet ached. My head was also pounding.

“Rough day,huh?” I heard Maya’s voice from the kitchen entrance. She was holding two bowls of cereal. Must have heard me when I entered the apartment. She walked towards me barefoot in leggings and an oversized hoodie,her golden hair packed up in a messy bun like she couldn't care less about the world.

“You look like hell” she said, taking a seat beside me and handing me the second bowl of cereal without me asking. God I loved her.

“Thanks,” I murmured,managing a tiny smile.

“Talk,” she demanded after a moment.

I hesitated, staring at the swirling milk in my bowl. The day hit me all over again like a punch to the chest.

“I got hired,” I said, stirring my cereal in the bowl.

“What?!” She exclaimed, almost dropping her bowl of cereal. “Seriously? After all that worrying? Girl this is amazing”

I let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah. Amazing”

“Ava, what's wrong?’ she asked, sending my mood.

So I told her. About how Logan West had hired me on the spot. About the task he gave me. About the way he looked at me like I was dirt,beneath his polished shoes.

Kate listened without interrupting,her cereals forgotten,her face frowning with every word that came out of my mouth.

"And get this," I finished, stabbing my spoon into the bowl. "He gave me two hours to summarize five years' worth of financial reports. It’s impossible,Kate. And when I couldn't finish it within the time he gave me,do you know what he said?”

Kate’s hands clenched into fists around her bowl. “What?”

“He said, congratulations Miss Monroe you just failed your first assignment”

“Sounds like a psycho,” Kate said bluntly. “Maybe he's one of those rich guys who gets off on making people miserable”

I smiled weakly,appreciating Kate’s attempt at making me laugh.

She nudged me with her elbow. "You still got the job though. That's something. You can make it work.”

“Can I?” I said, staring down at my hand which shook slightly from exhaustion,or maybe fear. I couldn't even tell anymore. “Kate if I lose this job….I don't know what I'll do”

She was silent for a moment, then reached out and squeezed my hand. "Hey. You’ll figure it out. You always do."

I wished I believed her. She had always been my rock,the one who picked up my broken pieces when I got smashed.

“Are you sure you and him haven't met before? No one dislikes someone he just met that much. Maybe when your father was still alive?” Kate broke the silence after a while.

“If I had met him, I would know Kate,I haven't” I said, running my hand through my tangled hair.

“Ava,you were in an accident. You lost some of your memories,maybe he's part of the memory you lost” Kate said,her voice gentle but firm.

I had been in an accident two years ago,was in a coma for a month and when I woke up,there were gaps. I couldn't remember some things that happened a year before. Some memories came back,some never did. But still,me meeting Logan West was almost impossible. He was up there in the food chain and I was way too below him.

“No Kate,I don't think he was,” I said firmly, putting an end to the conversation.

I rubbed my eyes, exhaustion coming at me. I needed to sleep. I needed a plan. I needed to believe I could somehow survive this nightmare.

My phone buzzed on the coffee table, the screen lighting up with a new email.

I grabbed it instantly and immediately wished I hadn't.

From: Logan West

Subject: Tomorrow

Message: Report to my office. 6:30 AM sharp. Don't be late.

No greeting. No sign-off. Just a command.

My stomach twisted painfully.

"Who is it?" Kate asked, peeking over my shoulder.

"Work," I croaked. "I have to be there at six thirty.”

"In the morning?!" Kate yelped. "Girl, that’s illegal somewhere, I swear to God."

I tried to laugh. It came out hollow.

"I’ll set an alarm," I said, shoving the phone face-down on the table like it could no longer hurt me if I couldn’t see it.

“I need to change these, they've gone soggy” Kate said, taking both my bowl and her and heading towards the kitchen.

“Ava,” she called from the kitchen. “Didn't this month's bills come in already? I can't find them”

Panic spiked through me.

I couldn't tell her I was tired of her settling the bills every time so I took the bills and hid it in my room, same as last month’s bill.

“It probably hasn't come in yet” I called back.

“That's weird” she said and continued with whatever she was doing.

Kate was too generous and I was tired of her settling our bills all by herself. I was grateful to her but now I'm feeling indebted. Trapped.

I pressed my hand to my forehead. Once I get my first paycheck,if I survive Logan West. I would settle those bills immediately.

My phone buzzed again and I checked the caller ID. I stared at it in disbelief and fear. Why was she calling me,after all this while. With trembling hands,I picked it up.

“Hello,little b***h” The voice I always dreaded came on.