Love The Hurt Away

One Man, Several Problems (Official Chapter"

One Hour Later

"Mommy do you like my picture?" Delaney asked lifting her colored portrait/

"Yes baby it looks beautiful." Dessiah spoke excitedly over the picture that included her and Delaney at the park with Detrick in the distance.

"Mommy I have to go to the bathroom."

"Come on, let's go baby." Dessiah guided Delaney out of the office and towards the restroom when she bumped into an angered Shandon. He looked as if he wanted to crumble the walls with his bare hands. The site of him carrying a box made her stomach drop.

"Shandon?" Dessiah called after him as he entered his office and began throwing folders in the box. There were two other boxes near the window. With Delaney clinging to her mothers hand they stood in the doorway watching Shandon. Dessiah called to him again.

"Shandon?" He didn't respond. It was like he was in an emotional daze. "Shandon is everything okay?" He finally acknowledged her presence with a look of disdain.

"What do you want?"

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"Ask your boyfriend!"

"What? What happened?"

"Like I said ask your boyfriend. Can you close my door? I have some packing to do but I'm sure you already knew that!" Dessiah slowly backed away and left out of the room. She wanted to let him know that she had nothing to do with him leaving but he was so disgruntled that she felt it was pointless to explain.

What happened? What did Detrick say? What did he do? Was she the cause of Shandon losing his job over some stupid kiss? If this was Detrick's way of staking claim on her it was definitely seeming less like claim and more like possession. And Dessiah Hawkins was no one's possession.

"Come on Laney let's get you to the bathroom and then I want you to go back and sit in my office until I come and get you okay?

"Yes mama." Dessiah finished in the bathroom and walked Delaney back to her office before she stalked towards Detrick's door. Beads of sweat were forming at her hairline and the sounds of her heels beating across the marble floor could be heard at least ten feet away.. She was becoming angrier by the minute. It was a stupid kiss, nothing more and nothing less. Bursting through his wooden door she quickly slammed it behind her.

"What did you do!?"

"What are you talking about? And don't slam my door!"

"To hell with the door Detrick. What did you do to Shandon? Why is he packing?" Detrick leaned back in his chair very calm and smooth. Folding his hands over his lips.

"I sent him to New York. We have a project there that he can attend to since his services are no longer needed here in Japan."