Chapter 81: 81 Pursuit


    Pursuit


    - the act of pursuing


    Origin: Middle English


    81


    While I was busy grabbing all of my stuff to get myself some lunch, there was a sudden knock on my


    door.


    "Hi." Nick greeted as he opens it wide.


    I froze for about five seconds when our eyes met and then I recovered. I gaze at my watch and it was


    twelve five noon. I''m starving for some steak and he''s making me starve if he stays longer inside my


    office. He walks inside while every employee behind him was looking right at us. He slowly closes the


    door behind him but I could still see heads peeping out.


    "Hi." I cleared my throat.


    He nced at his gold wristwatch, "It''s lunchtime. Wanna go grab something to eat together?" He


    asked.


    I bite my lower lip. Together.


    "Nick, your employees think something is going on between the two of us after what you did for me. It''s


    better if we avoid each other." I say.


    "Grab a pad and a pen, we''ll make them think we''re going for a lunch meeting."


    I sigh. "Nick. Why are you doing this?"


    I pulled up my hand to show him my wedding ring to show him that I''m married. "I''m married."


    "You''re married." I added.


    He sighs.


    "We can''t be seen together and if your employees will tell your wife that they saw you entering my


    office and we went out for lunch together, I''ll be fired." I continued.


    "Did Dakota taunt you to stay away from me?" He asked.


    Yes.


    "She didn''t. I just wanna make it clear to you that we can''t do things that we used to do. For god''s sake


    Nick, we''re both married people." I answered.


    I grabbed my purse.


    "You''re heading somewhere?" He asked.


    "Lunch." I say firmly.


    "Can''t two good ol'' friends have a peaceful lunch together?" He asked.


    Jesus Christ Nick. Why are you making me lose my mind?!


    "I''ll meet you at Travioli. We can''t be seen leaving together." I say.


    He nods and smiles at me while he walks out of my office. I waited for a few minutes before I could


    leave and when I finally did stepped out of the building, I hailed a cab and went to Travioli. Damon


    didn''t want me to drive my car because he doesn''t want me to get into a car ident.


    When I arrived at Travioli, I marched my way towards where Nick was sitting down. I sat right across


    him and noticed that he already ordered meals for us. Goodness, the steak looked delicious as hell. I


    don''t know how he knows what I''m craving for today but at least he knows my favorite meals. It''s been


    a very long time since we went out together like his, just the two of us.


    "Eat up." He says.


    I smiled.


    We ate silently and the dishes he ordered were insanely good. The gravy was salivating on my tongue


    and the vegetable sd was to die for. I''ve noticed something about Nick, and he still doesn''t talk or


    make eye contact when he eats. He''s still the same old Nick I knew back in the day.


    "You still don''t talk." I blurted.


    He slowly pulled his head up to me and wiped his cheek win the table napkin. "What does that mean?"


    He asked.


    "You don''t talk or make eye contact when you eat. I''ve noticed that since before." I say.


    I nced at him, "You still do it now."


    He smiles. "You know me too well."


    I smiled ruefully.


    He continued eating while I just watch him and whatever he was doing was adorable to me. I know this


    was the right time to tell him that he''s probably the father to this child inside of me but something holds


    me back now that I''ve started a life with Damon. I bent my head down right away when he pulled his


    head up to me. All of sudden, Nick holds my hand. I looked back at him.


    "It''s really toote to chase you now, huh?" He asked.


    He grips my hand briefly but then he didn''t release me when I attempted to pull back my hand.


    "Our lives have changed Nick." I say. "I mean look at you, you look different yourself."


    "I do look different now, physically but you''re still the one who owns me."


    Before, I would cry at night cos of the pain when I think about Catherine owning his heart and his love.


    But now that he loves me and that I hold a huge piece of his heart, it''s already toote for the both of


    us to start something beautiful.


    "You''re married. You''re about to be a father to Dakota''s baby. Stop saying things like this." I tell


    him.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    You''re the father to my baby too.


    He sighs. "The wedding is all for show. You know that."


    "You need to ept the baby Nick even when it''s not yours."


    "I know. Sometimes Dakota is too much and she''s choking me."


    I sigh heavily.


    "Savannah?" Someone with a familiar voice called out my name.


    I froze when I saw Damon walking towards our table. My heart beats faster than a nanosecond when I


    saw my husband''s reaction when he caught me having lunch and holding hands with some other man.


    Damon stares at Nick and I remember at the wedding, they never personally met since Nick didn''t go to


    the wedding reception cos he left after the ceremony.


    I quickly pulled my hand away from Nick when Damon stared at our hands entwined. Damon eyes me


    and his brows creasing. "What''s going on here?" He asked.


    "Damon." I stand and moved closer to my husband. "This is Mr. Nick Wilde. My boss."


    There was an awkward silence between the three of us and I hope it''s not doom''s day today.


    Nick stands, "It''s nice to finally meet you." He says while extending a hand.


    Damon epts it. "Pleasure''s mine. I''m Damon Patricks. Savannah''s husband."


    "Yeah. Heard a lot of stuff about you Mr. Patricks." Nick says.


    "What were you doing here hon?" I asked Damon.


    He moved his head to me, "Dropped by your office and I heard you went out for lunch. I knew I''d find


    you here." He smiles.


    I smiled back. "Wanna join us for lunch honey? We were having some meeting for... The convention...in


    a week." I say.


    "That would be good." Damon says while the three of us sat down.


    Damon didn''t bother about what he saw anymore. He didn''t asked about it and definitely didn''t make a


    scene. I don''t know if he''s only hiding the fact that he''s sensing something between me and Nick the


    second he saw our hands entwined.


    We talked about work rted stuff and Nick asked Damon about how hispany runs and they were


    both nning on bing business partners together. Think about it, my husband and the man that I


    still love will have merging of business. Damon was cool. He''s always theid back type of person.


    He''s just chill. I don''t know what runs on his head sometimes but he''s just soid back about


    everything.


    ?????


    Three months passed, and my tummy was already getting bigger. I always love staring myself in front


    of the mirror every morning and before I sleep, and seeing some of my body parts changing, from my


    bby arms, my belly growing, my thighs expanding bigger as I sit down, my calves are getting big too


    and my face is getting rounder along with my cheeks.


    Every morning I would sing to my baby every time I bathe myself, mostly it''s some old ssical songs


    and I listen to some Beethoven ssical songs or some piano pieces on my way to work. I have been


    wearing flowy and silky tops and dresses as well to hide my stomach growing.


    It''s been a month since thest time I saw Nick at work. A month since we had lunch together. I heard


    he''s at France at the moment for some work rted activities. I''m proud of Nick and how far he has


    come with his work. He achieved a lot of things and he did so many things. Even though it was an easy


    money since he married Mrs. Devaloines'' one and only daughter, but he still makes me proud for


    expanding such hugepany.


    Sometimes, when I''m inside my office, I wonder if Nick knows I''m already three months pregnant since


    I always were baggy tops. Sometimes I wonder if I still cross his mind. Sometimes I wonder if he


    misses me when he doesn''t see me. Sometimes I wonder if ever he sleeps with Dakota does he still


    see me. Sometimes I wonder if he misses my kisses and misses making love to me like how much I


    miss it.


    "What?" I asked in disbelief.


    Damon drops his fork and wipes his cheek with the table napkin.


    "Damon I can''t do that." I say.


    He sighs. "Yes you can."


    "I can''t."


    "Why? Why can''t you do that for me?"


    "I love this job and you know that. I can''t just resign because you tell me so. I have a contract with


    Devaloines Publishing House."


    "Well, I''ll pay it. Just quit your job."


    I sigh inwardly. It''s not that I don''t want to quit my job because I don''t want to be away from Nick, but


    because of the great sry, Im also learning a lot of things that I need to know.


    "Damon..." I sigh. "I don''t want to resign."


    "File a resignation letter, we''re moving to Ennd. You don''t need to work anymore, I have the money


    to support you."


    "I want to work for myself too. I don''t want to be just a household wife. I wanna work."


    "Savannah, we talked about our move to Ennd weeks ago. Mypany is expanding there and I''m


    going to manage it. I need to take you there with me."


    I exhaled. I don''t wanna go. I don''t wanna leave this ce. I don''t wanna be away from Nick.


    "Give me more time. I''ll think about it." I tell him.


    After having lunch with Damon, I stuck myself inside my office with a coffee on my hand. I haven''t slept


    wellst night because I was chasing for the deadline. I read a lot of articles that''s needed to be edited


    and as I do it, I can''t help but think about Damon''s offer. Us moving to Ennd. I really don''t wanna go.


    I don''t wanna quit my job. I don''t wanna be stuck inside the Josie for the res of my life and wait for my


    husband toe home whenever he wants. I don''t want that life.


    A week passed, and I have finally made a decision for myself. I was busy finishing my final edits for this


    article since my shift was almost about to end. I kept rereading it over and over again to look for some


    mistakes, in case I missed a few. When I was done, I quickly stood up and grabbed my bag and my


    resignation letter. Damon has been forcing me to go with him and he said he already bought a mansion


    there for us to live.


    I stretched my arms out and grunted when suddenly I felt my eyesight getting blurry. I felt my world


    spinning slow so I reached for my chair to hold onto something for my bnce.


    "I hate when I''m reading too much.." I massaged my temples.


    The door swings open and I pulled my head up junky to find Nick standing by the doorway with a red


    paper bag on his hand and a box colored white and blue. He walks inside my office causally and I just


    stared at him, not expecting him to be here. I thought he was still at France.


    "Nick." I say in disbelief.


    "Hello you. Good thing I was still able to catch you around here." He told me.


    "I... Thought you were in France?"


    "Justnded. Came here as soon as I can." He starts walking to me and handed me what he was


    holding.


    "For you." He hands the red paper bag to me.


    "What is this?" I asked.


    "Saw that dress in a boutique at France and I thought of you."


    "Nick. You didn''t have to do this. What will Dakota say?"


    He smiles. "She''s in Hongkong. Don''t worry. And I really wanted to give you a present for no reason.


    Well then think of it as ate wedding gift."


    I paused and epted the paper bag on my hand. "Thanks."


    "And this box is..." He trailed off.


    "For your baby." He adds.


    My eyes widened. "How''d you... How did you know?"


    "If Mrs. Hall didn''t tell me that you were having a baby and your bump is growing bigger, I wouldn''t


    know."


    I bent my head down low.


    "You still look beautiful." He says with his contrasting winter blue eyes looking at me. I smile at him.


    How can I un-love you Nick? I think u can never do that.


    "I''m happy for you and Damon." He adds with ruefulness on his voice.


    He clears his throat. "You''ll be starting a family soon. That''s really a great news for you."


    I look at him and he smiles at me fakely. I didn''t want to hurt him about this and I''m still not sure if this


    baby is Damon''s because thest person I had sex with three months ago was with Nick and it would


    be too impossible that Damon would be the father to this child inside me.


    "Thanks Nick." That''s all I could say to him.


    "What''s that in your hand?" He noticed.


    I gazed at the long white envelope and finally handed it to him since Dakota was at Hongkong. It would


    be appropriate to give it to him now since he''s already here.


    "Resignation letter." I say.


    His face falls. "You''re resigning?"


    I nod.


    "Savannah you have a contract here with us. You can''t just resign." Nick tells me.


    "Damon is going to pay it with whatever amount that is. He''s willing to."


    "Why are you resigning?"


    I took a deep breath in and exhaled heavily. "Me and Damon are moving to Ennd."


    His face shows dismay and pain. His brows creasing at the center of his forehead and he stares at the


    box on his hand. He slowly pulled his head up and looked at me.


    "I hope you could tell Dakota about this matter, Nick." I said.


    "Can you still think about it? We need you. You''re good at this and we''d loose someone capable


    enough who''s very excellent at this field and that''s you Savannah."


    I sigh. "I''ve made up my mind Nick. Thank you very much for epting me here. It was a marvelous


    experience to explore."


    He slowly and silently handed me the box. Suddenly my phone rings and I knew it was already


    Cameron. He''s the one picking me up today since we''re having family dinner tonight.


    "I''ll be going now." I say.


    "When are you leaving thepany?" He asked seriously.


    "The day after tomorrow. Damon had already fixed our papers and that was the only thing I waited for


    before I file a resignation letter."


    Suddenly he hugged me tight with his arms wrapped around me. "It hurts me so much that everything


    is changing between us and I can''t do anything about it anymore." he says to me.


    I feel like my tears are building up but I try to hold it in.


    "It hurts me seeing you that you''re already starting your own family now while I''m still stuck on the


    thought about you bing the mother to my children." He adds.


    You are the father to my child Nick, though vaguely.


    He pulled himself away and cupped both of my cheeks as he kisses my forehead. "I will love you


    Savannah..."


    "Until forever runs out." He adds.


    ________


    SFTC:


    Wasted Time - Vance Joy