Marry me

Chapter Twenty-Seven.

A/n: "if you're still with me and reading this story, thank you so much. That's all I have to say."

That is what I initially planned to leave as this chapter's author's note. Then I realized it's a jerk move on my part to leave for a whole year and come back with literally no justification for my absence.

I'm sorry.

Even though I sincerely doubt that most of you will read this lengthy author's note, I'm sorry. Really.

It's been one heck of a year, I'm not even going to lie. Last year/early this year was my final year of high school and it was very chaotic. With getting my life back on track, turning to schoolwork, and the likes, writing was one of the last things on my priority list. And I'm not saying that as an excuse because there were times this year when I could have opened up Wattpad and word-vomited into the app through my fingers, but I didn't. I chose not to because my mind just wasn't there. I'm sorry for that.
When I graduated a few months ago, August to be exact, I planned to start writing as soon as possible but I couldn't. I still needed that mental break. But I'm back now. I don't think I'll be going AWOL anytime soon.

Guess who's back ;)

Enough of stories that touch the heart and onto the real deal.

***

Recap:

"My second secretary," my lovely fake-husba- oops, boss, I meant- said. "Miss. Ashby is my second secretary. After you, of course."

I can't remember what happened after but I was sure of one thing.

I was sure of the colorful strings of curses that I invented that day.

Oh yeah, I was sure of something else.

That any level of understanding that had solidified between me and Ivan vanished like it never even existed.

*

I lied.

The level of understanding between me and Ivan hadn't completely vanished. It only withered a bit (a bit is my code phrase for 'almost completely').

So it wasn't a lie.

It was a black truth.

*

Days.

Weeks.

Months.

It's funny how they fly by so fast when you're not paying attention. One minute, it's August, and the next, it's October.

I had to admit; in the three months, three weeks, and five days since I had met Mr. Trevelyan- I wouldn't say 'met', it was more like a coincidental collision of our very different worlds- Mr. Trevelyan was starting to grow on me, just a bit (there is definitely no reference to my code phrase here, wink). And to my horror, he was growing on me quite rapidly, like a rash.

And no matter how hard I tried to pathetically convince myself otherwise, the truth was:

I didn't hate him.

But I didn't like him either.

Especially after the stunt he pulled by hiring another secretary. Not like I cared or anything (even though it was tantamount to the betrayal of the highest order).

We were stuck in between. More of fr- acquaintances. I meant, acquaintances.

There, I said it.

Surprisingly, Ivan turned out to be a good... er, acquaintance. I mean there were those oftentimes when he would piss me off so much that I would imagine him suffering in the sickest way possible. But that was normal in every acquaintanceship.