Don't Make It Worse
1406 Words
Lucian parked in front of the tall glass building and sat in his car for a few seconds. His hands rested on the steering wheel, still and tense. The morning sun bounced off the windows, too bright for how he felt inside.
He finally pushed the door open and stepped out. The soft sound of his shoes against the marble floor echoed as he entered the lobby. Everything was neat, the air smelled faintly of coffee and perfume, the kind you only notice when it’s too quiet.
He walked straight to the reception desk. The young woman sitting there looked up with a polite smile. “Good morning, sir. How can I help you?”
Lucian cleared his throat, trying to sound casual. “Good morning. I’m here to see Ms. Brooks.”
Her fingers paused on the keyboard. “Do you have an appointment, sir?”
He hesitated for half a second before saying, “No. But it’s important.”
She offered an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, sir, but Ms. Brooks isn’t in today.”
Lucian’s brows drew together slightly. “She’s not?”
“No, sir. She called in this morning. Said she won’t be coming to the office.”
He nodded slowly, forcing a small breath. “Alright. Thank you.”
As he turned to leave, he felt the receptionist’s curious gaze on his back. He didn’t care. He just needed to figure out where Georgia was.
Back in the parking lot, he leaned against the car door and took out his phone. He dialed her number, pressing it to his ear.
Once.
Twice.
No connection.
He frowned, trying again. The call didn’t even ring this time. Just silence.
For a moment, the thought hit him, Did she block him?
He quickly pushed it away. Georgia wasn’t like that. Maybe her phone battery was low. Or maybe she just didn’t want to talk to him yet.
Lucian let out a slow sigh and looked at the steering wheel again. “You really screwed this up,” he muttered.
He sat in the car for a few seconds, then remembered someone who might know where she was. May.
He scrolled through his contacts and called her.
She picked up quickly. “Lucian?”
“Yeah,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Hey. Have you seen Georgia today?”
“Yeah,” May said, her tone curious. “We’re meeting at a restaurant soon. Why?”
Lucian hesitated. “I need to talk to her.”
“Oh,” she said, her voice softening a little. “Trouble in paradise?”
“Something like that,” he said dryly.
May sighed. “Alright, I’ll send you the address.”
“Thanks,” he said, ending the call.
A few seconds later, a message popped up with the location. Lucian started the car, the low hum of the engine breaking the silence. He drove without music, his thoughts too loud already.
When he reached the restaurant, it was quiet, modern and bright, with soft background music playing. He spotted May first, waving at him from a corner table. Georgia sat beside her, her head slightly turned toward the window.
Lucian’s chest tightened at the sight of her. She looked beautiful, as always, but her face was pale, her eyes tired. She wasn’t smiling, not really. Just sitting there, her fingers tracing the edge of her glass.
He walked over. May stood first, her usual bright smile appearing. “Hey, stranger,” she said, giving him a quick hug.
Lucian hugged her back briefly, then looked at Georgia. “Hey,” he said quietly.
Georgia’s eyes lifted to his, but her expression didn’t change. “Hey,” she said back, her voice flat.
May glanced between them and sighed softly. “Okay, I’m just gonna… go take that call.” She grabbed her phone and slipped out, giving Lucian a pointed look before walking away.
Silence fell between them.
Lucian pulled out a chair and sat down across from Georgia. She didn’t look at him, just stirred the juice in her glass with the straw.
He leaned forward slightly. “You didn’t come to work,” he said.
She finally looked up. “You went there?”
“Yeah,” he said simply. “Receptionist said you weren’t coming in.”
“I wasn’t feeling great,” she said, her tone light but cold.
Lucian nodded slowly. “Georgia…” he started, his voice low. “About last night.”
She kept her gaze steady, though her fingers tightened on the glass. “What about last night?”
He swallowed hard, the words not coming easily. “I shouldn’t have said that. The way I spoke to you… it wasn’t fair.”
Her eyes softened for a moment, then she looked away. “It’s fine.”
“It’s not,” he said firmly. “You called me, and I...” He stopped, shaking his head. “I was an ass. I’m sorry.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line. “You didn’t sound like someone who wanted to talk, Lucian.”
“I know,” he said quietly. “I was tired. My head wasn’t right. But I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”
She gave a small nod but didn’t reply. The silence stretched again, heavy and awkward.
He leaned back in his chair, watching her. Her eyes were distant, her lashes wet like she’d cried. “Did you sleep?” he asked softly.
“Barely,” she said, still not looking at him.
Lucian ran a hand through his hair, guilt twisting in his chest. “I called again last night,” he said quietly. “You didn’t pick up.”
“I saw it this morning,” she said, her voice small. “I didn’t want to.”
He nodded once. “I get that.”
For a moment, neither spoke. The clink of cutlery from nearby tables filled the quiet between them.
Georgia finally sighed, setting her glass down. “Lucian, I just…” She paused, struggling for words. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
Lucian blinked, confused. “What do you mean?”
She gave a small shrug, her eyes flicking away. “Nothing. Forget it.”
He frowned slightly. “If there’s something you want to ask me, just ask.”
Her gaze met his again, calm, unreadable. “I already did.”
Lucian looked at her for a long second, then shook his head. “There’s nothing to tell, Georgia. You know everything.”
Her lips twitched into a faint, almost sad smile. “Right.”
He leaned forward slightly, his tone soft but firm. “I mean it.”
Georgia looked down, her fingers tracing the edge of her napkin. “Okay.”
The silence that followed was heavy again, but not angry this time, just full of things neither of them could say.
Lucian watched her closely. The way she avoided his eyes, the way her voice trembled slightly even when she tried to sound calm. He could tell she was still hurt.
He wanted to reach across the table, take her hand, tell her that none of it meant he didn’t care. But something held him back, maybe fear, maybe pride.
So instead, he said quietly, “I’ll make it up to you.”
Her eyes lifted to his again, uncertain. “How?”
“I don’t know yet,” he admitted. “But I will.”
Georgia looked at him for a long second, like she was trying to decide whether to believe him or not. Then she nodded faintly. “Okay,” she said, though her tone didn’t sound sure.
May returned just then, holding her phone. “You two done fighting?” she asked lightly, sliding back into her seat.
Georgia forced a small smile. “We weren’t fighting.”
Lucian gave a small, tired smile. “Just talking.”
May looked between them and sighed. “Good. You both look like you haven’t slept in days.”
Lucian chuckled quietly, shaking his head. “Maybe we didn’t.”
Georgia didn’t laugh. She just looked down again, her face calm but far away.
Lucian watched her for a long moment before glancing away, hiding the regret in his eyes.
He had fixed nothing. But at least, this time, he hadn’t made it worse.
- Writer
