Irrevocably HIS

"Will he be okay?" I say as I sniffle to Amber, Hunter beside her looking almost as broken as she is, holding my duffel for me, my new parents waiting outside by their car. I watch as she smiles brightly, most likely for my benefit, yet it doesn't quite reach her eyes. She thinks she's shielding me from the truth, but I know, deep down inside, she feels the torment that Tatum feels right now knowing that I am leaving. She cups my cheek with her hand as she just stares at me with nothing but absolute love and devotion. "He'll be fine Annie. Don't you worry. I'll keep an eye on him. Everything will be okay." She says, yet once again, her words don't match the sadness in her beautiful eyes. She has been like a mother figure to all of us. Amber and Hunter, along with Sophie, have been like a mother father duo to all us rejects and it hurts to leave them, but this is my chance at having the childhood I have always wanted. "I need you to do me a favor Annie. I need you to live your life no matter how much this moment right now may hurt. Never second guess yourself. Never live with guilt. While we may love you with everything we have, we only want what's best for you, and that is living the life of a child who has the capability of having parents that will give you unconditional love, like those two people waiting for you. They have suffered immensely, yet they still have a lot of love to give. Be their anchor Annie. Allow them the privilege of getting to know the most beautiful, adorable little girl that we have both come to love so so much." Amber says before pulling me into her chest and hugging me with every ounce of love flowing through her. She lets go, silent tears escaping her as her breath hitches, allowing Hunter to extend his hand for me to take and guiding me to the family waiting for me with smiles on their faces. He bends down to eye level with me pulling me into his embrace and I am on the verge of crying but he pulls away quickly, just looking at me with adoration before standing up and handing my duffel to the new man that is now my adoptive father. "Please keep in touch. We love this little girl and we know without a doubt that you will love her a thousand times as much. Give her what we can't. I trust that you will." Hunter says earning a nod in return. I can sense eyes on me and look up to see a figure standing by his window and I immediately know he is watching me. Always watching. I raise my hand to wave, my heart constricting because I am losing my best friend, but he doesn't reciprocate. He just watches as I turn around and place myself into the car, buckling myself up, then turning back to look out the window and up to the window that is now empty. Tatum was nothing but caring even though he had his moments where he would make me sad. I knew it was because of the life we were living but it didn't hurt any less. I still cared about him, and eventually came to love him. He's my bestest friend. Well, was I suppose. I sigh as I sit back as the car starts and watch as the place that has become my home fades until there is nothing left to recognize. A lone tear falls down my face that I immediately swipe away. I promised Amber that I wouldn't allow myself to live with guilt. I will honor my promise to her. From this moment forward, I will simply live. Twelve Years Later "Stupid alarm clock." I say to myself while waiting for my coffee pot to spit out the liquid gold I so desperately need right now. My patience is wearing thin as the old machine tries its best to work as if it weren't a hunk of junk right now. All I had to do was wake up early yet here I am, a complete and utter mess. How much more unluckiness can I take? "Come on baby. Come on. One last time. For me." I whisper as the last of the liquid pours into my cup. I knew life on my own would be hard but right about now, this job is something I need desperately. I told my parents that I would be okay, that I don't need their help to keep me afloat but at this point in my life, I'm thinking about begging. Everything was fine with my life. I had graduated from college, found myself a reasonably priced apartment with the man I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with, to only have him back out at the last moment, suddenly not wanting to fully commit. I didn't want to burden anyone, or needing their pity, so I swallowed my pain and attempted to pull myself out of the rut I was in all by myself. Almost everything I had saved went to half the down payment for the apartment I would have loved to call home, but the money was unfortunately non refundable. Of course, my ex decided to stay and keep it for himself, leaving me high and dry. Yeah, the damn asshole. Luckily, I had managed to find a smaller than small studio apartment that can easily be a damn storage closet. That cost me more of what I had saved and I managed to pay some months in advance so I can find myself a job while living off of ramen soup. This, along with my late wake up call, as I sip my disgusting coffee, is what I am dealing with today, nearly late for my interview at Kennedy Enterprises. I had seen the ad in the newspaper, a seemingly easy job as an office assistant, and couldn't not ask for an interview. It seems easy to me. Take calls, forward emails, file files. I have a degree in business yet here I am diminishing my skills, hoping that I get this position so I can afford to pay rent and get some decent groceries. I take my last sip and rush out of my dinky closet apartment and literally run to my interview, since I have no money for mass transportation, managing to make it with a minute to spare, only feeling absolutely winded. I am utterly shocked that I made it on time so maybe that is a sign of things getting better? However, to my dismay, I feel like I look an utter wreck as I head to the front desk to announce my presence. Of course, the beautiful woman sitting behind the desk looks at me like I just crawled out of the nearest trash bin, eyeing me with disdain. I cringe as she just stares before plastering a fake customer service smile on her face. "May I help you?" She says and I refrain from rolling my eyes. This is my only chance at a job so I need to keep my composure. "I am here for the ten o clock appointment with a Mr. Davis for the office assistant position. I am Annie Erickson." I say with all the strength I can muster as my insides are burning from the running. She nods and raises the phone, speaking with someone telling them of my appointment. "Mr. Davis is unfortunately running late. You will be interviewed by someone else. Please take the elevator to the top level." She says and I give her a slight smile and make my way to the elevator. It opens almost instantly and I feel a sense of foreboding as I enter and press the last number on it. I am an absolute nervous mess but I take a deep breath in and exhale at the same moment the doors open. I am struck with awe at the beautiful sight before me. This is no ordinary office. This seems like a beautiful apartment I am walking into. The furniture is stunning, having a modern appeal. The windows all around allow the sunlight to shimmer through casting a radiant glow inside. I take the opportunity to do a 360 when someone clearing their throat startles me. "Ms. Erickson. Will you kindly take a seat instead of ogling my office. I am a very busy man and do not like to be kept waiting. I'd rather be anywhere but here but unfortunately the one who does the hiring is stuck in traffic, so please, let's get this show on the road." The man I see pulling out a leather chair by his desk, wearing a three piece suit, says to me. I inch closer to the seat across from him as I look at the man before me. His eyes are nothing but cold and distant. His jaw is clenched tight as he eyes me with what I believe to be hostility even though this is the first time I have ever met him. He looks like he is nothing but a ruthless shark in the business world and I somewhat berate myself for even considering this job. He is nothing but a no nonsense man. I gulp down my hesitation and fears and take a seat, eyes still glued to his. He, however, dismisses me and reads the paper in front of him which I am sure is my resume. "You have a degree in business yet you want to be an office assistant? Why would I hire someone that is more than qualified for something more than what is required for this position? Do you take me for a fool Ms. Erickson? I don't need to waste my time on this absurdity. Thanks but no thanks. You may see yourself out." He says waving his hand dismissively. I just stare at him at a loss for words. He didn't even give me a chance. What an asshole. I rise to leave but am pissed off beyond belief at his callousness. I turn and hold onto the back of the chair staring at him as he is looking at more papers on his desk. I grip the chair tighter, basically white knuckling it, begging myself to keep my anger at bay but I fail monumentally. "If I may speak candidly since you are dismissing me not even two minutes into my interview." I say with a boldness I never knew I had. He looks up not even remotely interested in what I have to say but I can give two craps. I have been stepped on enough lately. I am barely surviving, barely holding it together. I thought my life was all mapped out. I thought I had everything I wanted. Clearly life is kicking me in the metaphorical balls and it ends now. "You dare sit there on your high horse looking down on me for wanting a job that clearly I am too good for yet absolutely desperate for. I've had a very bad couple of weeks as of lately so would it kill you to have some fucking damn compassion? You may not have known that from the mere two seconds you have looked at me but you just dismiss me like I am but an inconvenience. Your company wrote the help wanted ad. Not me. I don't care that you are a multi million dollar corporation. I don't care that you can afford to buy yourself pricy things and elaborately decorate your office. I want. No. I deserve a damn chance. I don't care if this is menial work. I need it right now. I won't stand here and basically beg if I didn't have another choice. When the time comes, I will move on but for right now, I will gladly diminish myself so I can be able to pay for the smallest roof over my head and get to eat something other than ramen noodles." I say without taking a breath, all my anger depleting. His look doesn't change the least yet there is a quick look in his eye that shows off a minuscule amount of his humanity. He doesn't say anything so I take the opportunity to retract my entire speech. "On second thought, I'll take my chances and look for other job opportunities. Thanks for everything." I say as I storm towards the elevator and press the button. Footsteps come towards me but I don't have it in me to look at this man again. I just laid out the truth for him. I don't need to see just how much he thinks of me now. "You'll need to be here by nine tomorrow morning, pen and pad in hand to take down everything I discuss in the meetings I have scheduled. One slip up and I will cut you loose. Do not take my kindness for weakness Ms. Erickson. I do not at all pity you because of your predicament but I do commend you for your boldness. Instead of being an office assistant, you will now be my personal secretary." He says matter of factly and I groan inwardly for what I just landed myself in. The doors open a mere second after his proposal and I slowly make my way inside. I school my appearance as he steps in beside me as he turns to give me a sinister smirk that makes my knees weak. What the hell is wrong with me? "It must suck to have everything you could have ever wanted only for it to slip between your fingers in the matter of a second." He says making my eyes widen in shock at his callous words. The elevator lands on the ground floor and opens allowing him to exit without a backwards glance at my stunned expression. I continue to walk only to see my new boss wrap his arms around a beautiful brunette in the waiting room, crashing his lips down onto hers as if she is his source of oxygen. They break away, both breathing heavily. "Oh Tatum. Your lips will be the death of me." The woman says, and that is all it takes for my heart to crack and bleed within my body at the mention of that name. Tatum, my Tatum, my savior, my protector, my childhood best friend, became Tatum Kennedy? Before I can fully process this information, my name being called pulls me out of my trance. "Nine o clock sharp tomorrow morning Ms. Erickson. Not a second later. If you can't do that then I have no use for you whatsoever. No excuses like the ones you told me before." He says coldly. Well, shit.