THE SPACE BETWEEN US

Chapter 9

Trace's POV

“That manager, uh… what’s his name… Trace? Yeah, he really carries some kind of attitude. How impudent that man is. How do you handle working in the same cabin as him?”

“He’s not rude.”

“Yeah, yeah, not rude, but rough.”

“Come on, Leo, could you take a break? Since you entered my house, you’ve been talking about him nonstop. And that time when Jimmy got scolded by him, it was because he faltered and got the work done wrong. If Trace hadn’t noticed, Jimmy wouldn’t have realized…”

“It was a trivial mistake, madam. And Trace just vented his frustration on him for some other reason.”

“But that mistake could’ve ruined the design order!”

“No error could be as minute as that.” Leo protests, but I stop him. This matter isn’t our business.

Yet something feels off when he keeps bashing Trace for no reason.

In fact, there was definitely something weird about Trace today. His mood shifted the moment he looked at his phone after those consecutive notifications. I noticed.

We still had an hour left in our shift, but he left in a hurry, dialing a number midway.

It’s been three days since we’ve had a normal conversation. Today marks the fourth, and that bothers me.

It feels as if my past memories are tangling with my present. Back when I used to wait for hours—sometimes days or even months—for his texts. Now, it’s been three years since I last reached out to him. Those moments felt surreal, like he occupied every minute of my life.

Would anyone think less of me if I admitted that I thought of him even before I saw him for the first time at the office? People would likely see me as a girl with no self-respect. I tried to bad-mouth myself for thinking about a man who never acknowledged my existence. His indifference hurt deeply, yet nothing could convince my heart or my mind to let go of those feelings.

And here I am, still the same girl he left three years ago—desperate for him.

I just hope nothing is wrong with him. I don’t expect him to share anything with me; he wouldn’t anyway. I just want him to be safe.

“Yo, Earth to Grace! Hello? Are you there?” Leo shakes his hands in ?”

“Hey, no, stupid! Why would I cry?” My vision felt blurry for a moment when I opened my eyes.

“You have tears in your eyes. CLEARLY.”

“Ahh! Keep quiet and don’t irritate me.”

“You’re such a weird creature. Who cries in the middle of a conversation like this, and for what reason?”

“I wasn’t crying.”

“Then what was that, madam?”

“That was just the inception of my new talent.”

“Which talent? Your eyes have started to sweat now?” I nod vigorously and give him a cheeky grin. I have the exact same rubbish excuse ready to give him. I swear I’m not lying.

“Shut up. NONSENSE!” He exaggerates the word and takes a big bite of his pepperoni pizza.

“Never seen a pizza in your life or what?”

“Huh?” he manages to say, signaling me to have my slice. It’s always refreshing to chat with Leo.

I pull out the notepad from my laptop bag that Trace handed me that morning. “Do you mind finding solutions for the loopholes I’ve mentioned here?” he had asked while passing the file to me.

Tomorrow is Saturday, and I have plenty of time at the office since Trace is tied up with meetings. I decide to set the file aside for now.

After getting out of the washroom, I return to my room, feeling a bit dizzy from my skincare routine. I used to think these rituals were ludicrous until I started talking to Trace. I wanted to look beautiful and eliminate my physical flaws—all for him.

I tighten my hair bun before drifting off to sleep.

Next day, my stomach grumbles as I step back into the cabin. Thank goodness Trace isn’t here. This is so embarrassing. It’s my fault for being late to the office today, which caused me to skip breakfast. Now I’m starving.

I seat myself and drink a glass of water to quiet my stomach.

“Where is Trace?” the CEO barges into the cabin, leaving me dumbfounded. He looks furious. “Grace?” He’s never called my name so sternly. “Y-yes, sir. I have no idea where he is. I’m sorry…” But he leaves the room before I can finish.

His behavior staggers me. He’s never been like this with me before. I’m seriously affected by it. But what about Trace? He’s not here at the office? I thought he was busy attending meetings. If he took a leave, then he must’ve submitted an application, right?

The boss’s demeanor suggests otherwise. Leo once informed me how the CEO had unleashed his anger on an employee who didn’t show up during work hours without notice or an application. I didn’t believe him then. Leo sighed, rolling his eyes at me. Not everything he says is nonsense.

God, now I’m worried about Trace. What could be so important for him to skip work today, especially when he knows he has important tasks scheduled? And didn’t he seem upset yesterday after that incident? He left in a hurry, after all.

I wish I could help him with whatever is going on or at least save him from the CEO’s unpleasant eruption. But I don’t even have his number to contact him.

But…I do have his Telegram. Should I? No…I don’t think I can. That app has been unused since we stopped talking, and I don’t want to reopen old wounds. I drop the idea and just pray for the best.

Just when I consider keeping my phone on silent, a familiar notification rings out. The same notification I’ve been dying to see for three years…

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