Saturday, October 12, 2017, 10:55am

DayBreak Coffee

...

"Amia, I'm worried about you."

Amia smiled weakly into tea that had long since grown cold. She had been trying so hard to keep a straight face all week but now she felt drained. What should be a fun outing with her friend had been nothing but sour due to her own poor attitude. Ellie's soft brown eyes analyzed her carefully and she placed her hand on top of hers. Amia slipped her hand away and interlaced her fingers in her lap.

"I'm fine Elle." She replied gently and Ellie shook her head.

"No you're not you...you look like..." She said sternly and Amia looked up at her curiously.

"Like what?"

"Like...Ezra..." She said, her voice faint and still full of hurt after a whole year. "Amia, if something is going on please tell me."

"I'm fine. I promise." She said and tried to make her smile seem genuine.

Ellie wasn't buying it but didn't press further and for that, Amia was grateful. She really wasn't in the mood to talk about it. She had expended all her energy into avoiding and ignoring Sylas all week. Working with him had once been an annoyance that slowly morphed into something she looked forward to doing. Now she had to start depriving herself of that. Like an addict, she was coming down, and it wasn't fun, especially now that she was so confused about her emotions toward Sylas. He wasn't making it easy either...

…Amia sighed as she tried to send off one last email. She had been showing up later and later to avoid Sylas in the mornings before he headed out for his morning meetings and leaving early before he arrived. She took whatever she could home with her to work on and the anxiety that she felt was starting to become evident. Bags were forming around her eyes and her skin was even paler than usual. She put it off as just work-related stress from the merger to anyone who asked but that excuse was already beginning to sound tired. She glanced at the clock and noticed that it was almost three. Sylas would be returning soon. She pressed send and started packing her bag full of files to work on at home. Sara looked up from where her work was spread across the low table in the middle of the room.

"You're leaving already?" She asked, her voice full of concern.

"Yea. I have...things..." Amia said. It was a pitiful excuse. She was usually much better at lying than this but the week had worn her down.

"Amia, you've been acting off all week. As a friend I'm worried." Sara said and Amia just waved off her concern. She had gotten very good at doing that recently.

"I'm fine Sara. Really." She smiled and slung her bag over her arm. "Don't let Sylas work you too hard okay?"

Sara opened her mouth to undoubtedly continue pressing the issue but the door to the office opened. Amia felt her heart drop in the pit of her stomach as he looked her up and down, his lips pressing into a tight line of what she knew was disapproval. She looked at a point past his head and marched forward to leave but he didn't move.

"Sara." He said as he placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. "You are needed in Accounting."

"Accounting? What?" The woman asked perplexed. When Sylas didn't expand on the directive, she let out a frustrated huff but departed quickly enough.

Amia tried to follow her but Sylas kept her planted firmly in place with his hand. He closed the door and locked it.

"You are avoiding me." He said stiffly and Amia shook her head.

"I'm just busy."

"You're lying."

Amia bit her bottom lip and shifted her grip on her bag. She didn't know what to say. She was avoiding him. Every time she looked at him, her heart twisted uncomfortably. Seeing him was a constant reminder of what she shouldn't do. What she wouldn't do. He reached out to touch her but she took a step back. His hand fell to his side and he let out a slow breath.

"The other night...you...left." He started awkwardly and her stomach did a flip. The last thing she wanted to discuss with him was the night of the gala. "Did you...do you..."

His voice trailed off as he allowed his unspoken question to hang in the air and her temper flared up slightly at the accusation. It had been their first time together without using a condom but she wasn't an idiot.

"I am on birth control if that's what you're worried about." She snapped, looking up at his dark eyes and immediately regretted it.

Instead of a stern, impassive gaze, his eyes were...soft. Amia felt her quick temper lessen. That wasn't what he was asking at all. The look he had in his eyes right now was the same one he had that night.

"That night-" he started but she cut him off.

"Sylas I have to go."

She moved around him and placed her hand on the doorknob but he caught her wrist.

"Amia."

"Please." She pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper.

His fingers slowly let go of her wrist and she quickly unlocked and reopened the door. On the other side, Sara was poised with her fist up in preparation to knock. Amia skirted around her and slowly made her way down the hall.

"Sylas, Accounting doesn't need me." Amia heard Sara say tersely, closing the door behind her...

"How are the renovations coming along?" Amia asked in a feeble attempt to steer the conversation in a more positive direction. Ellie knew what she was trying to do but let it slide.

"Slow and steady." She said and stirred her coffee absently as the bell to the front door jingled with its opening. "We should be able to reopen at the end of December, just in time for the new year showcase."

"That's great. Are you going to perform again this year?"

"No, I'll be leading our little ones- whoa." Ellie gasped and her eyes widened to the size of saucers at something behind her.

Amia turned around and could see what warranted that reaction. Noah Douglas was standing in the middle of the empty coffee shop with a lopsided grin.

"I should goooo...check my schedule for next week! Yea that's it!" Ellie said as she got up from the table.

Amia shook her head furiously to keep her from leaving but the brunette ignored her silent pleas.

"Hey, Ami." Noah chirped as he slid into the seat that Ellie vacated.

"H-hey Noah." She greeted softly and tried to return his smile but it didn't quite meet her eyes.

"I looked for you the other night but you slipped off, everything okay?"

"It was just getting a little hot. I...I had to step out for a moment."

"You should take better care of yourself!" Noah said in what he thought was a reprimanding tone but he couldn't stay serious for long. He reached across the table and ruffled her hair. "That's what you always used to tell me. It's good advice. You should follow it."

Amia studied his face, which held nothing but sincere concern for her wellbeing. It made her heart fill with a different kind of warmth. One that she only felt for her sister and cousin.

"Thank you, Noah."

"Hey," he started hesitantly, scratching the back of his head sheepishly and avoiding her eyes. "I know I took you for granted when we were together. You believed in me before anyone else did. I'm sorry. I said I wanted us to remain friends and I mean it."

"Noah-"

"No, I really mean it this time Amia. I want to be there for you this time. Anything you need!"

"I don't know." She said softly, she wasn't sure it was a good idea but Noah was insistent.

He grabbed one of her hands between his own and his cerulean blue eyes stared her down.

"If you need me to beat someone up I can do it." He said and leaned in close to lower his voice to a whisper. Amia felt her lips twitch. "I know how to get rid of dead bodies."

Amia blanched at his statement and he laughed.

"I'm serious though. Don't disappear for nine months. Let's be friends, for real this time."

"Pumpkin spice latte, double shot of espresso!" The barista called from the counter and Noah looked up.

"That's me! I've gotta go but please call me sometime." He said and jumped up to collect his to-go cup from the counter.

Amia watched him as he charmed the barista with that sparkling smile he doled out so freely and felt the tension in her chest lessen slightly. Noah's bright presence always put her in a better mood. In fact, there was not a single person that came in contact with him that wasn't positively impacted in some way. The man had a gift. He walked backward towards the front door and waved goodbye enthusiastically.

"Your birthday's coming up! I expect an invite!" He shouted and Amia shook her head.

'Some things never change.' She thought.

Her birthday was nearly two months away, but he always remembered the occasion in their three years together. He always tried to do something special. Even if special meant making a coupon book of ramen vouchers one year. She gave him a small wave goodbye and watched him depart from the large storefront window. He had a huge goofy grin as he continued to wave from outside. He was so preoccupied that he ran into another person who was too busy texting on their phone to look up. Amia lowered her hand and stood up quickly as she realized that the person he had run into was Iris and she was going to fall hard on the concrete.

She watched as he struggled to keep his coffee from spilling and still prevent the accident that she was positive would have happened if it had not been for his quick reflexes. His arm wrapped around her waist and caught her just in time before her head was cracked open on the sidewalk. He pulled her up and held her close. Amia's eyes switched between the two of them quickly as if she were watching an intense tennis match. Both of them were too stunned to move away from one another, that is until Noah dropped his coffee and it splattered on the sidewalk like a grenade at their feet. The two of them separated immediately. Amia sat back down and watched the two of them skirt around each other, hands waving, mouths moving quickly as they tried to explain away the awkward accident to each other.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

A bodyguard placed a hand on Noah's shoulder and Iris bowed deeply as she held out her wallet in an effort to apologize for making him spill his coffee. Amia pressed a hand to her heart as Noah stared at her slack-jawed and at a complete loss for what to do. She felt her lips turn upward as Noah's ears began to turn red from embarrassment. When he didn't accept her money, Iris pulled a purple pen from her purse and grabbed Noah's hand. She scrawled something on it quickly and bowed again before heading into the cafe. The bell rang and Iris began walking across the cafe when she spotted Amia. The blonde's cheeks were tinted red from her brief encounter and she was a bit breathless.

"Sorry, I'm late!" Iris called from across the room. "There were a lot of customers-"

There was a loud rapping on the glass and both women looked up to see Noah still outside. He motioned for a second bodyguard holding a briefcase to come over quickly. The man was hesitant at first since it was known that his charge was somewhat unpredictable at times. It was only natural to be cautious. Noah opened the briefcase and pulled out a notebook and a pen. He tapped on the window again and motioned for Iris to come forward. The blonde woman chanced a quick glance at where Amia was sitting in the far corner of the room but walked to the window anyway.

Noah wrote something quickly in the notebook and then pressed the paper against the glass. Messily scrawled in bright orange marker was his telephone number. He held his thumb up and he seemed to smile even brighter. Amia rested her cheek in her palm and watched as the start of something truly genuine unfolded. When Iris finally copied the number in her phone, she smiled and this time, she meant it.

…..

Saturday, October 12, 2017, 6:45pm

Hato Estate

...

Amia frowned as she put her hand on her hips and regarded the half-packed suitcase on her bed. It would have been all packed if it hadn't been for her discovery that half of her makeup was missing. She had turned her room inside out for the better half an hour before realizing it was futile. Aviva must have had a case of sticky fingers and decided to help herself. Unfortunately, she couldn't exactly go hunt her down since she was off doing god knows what with a certain Lancaster boy. The girl's head had been in the clouds and it was nearly impossible for anyone to bring her back down. Amia couldn't fault her though. She was happy and, as her big sister, she would do anything to keep it that way. She had promised their mother that she would take care of Aviva. That she would love her sister and protect her. It was a tall order for an eight-year-old but she had kept her promise this long.

Sighing, she returned to clearing out her bedside drawer of what she might need and her fingers brushed against her plastic birth control container. She picked it up and debated whether she should bring it with her or not. It wasn't like she would need it during the business summit and since she was swearing off of a certain Uri, she shouldn't need it right? A knock on her already open door made her jump and she clumsily shoved the birth control into her suitcase.

"Am I interrupting something?" Ezra asked with a low chuckle as he leaned casually against the door jam and Amia shook her head.

"You just surprised me!"

Ezra smiled and walked into the room. He looked at her suitcase and picked up one of the many black dresses she had stuffed haphazardly inside. He shook his head and began folding it correctly.

"You don't have to do that!" Amia said and blushed as Ezra continued to unpack her clothing out of her suitcase.

Ezra didn't listen of course and stubbornly kept doing what he was doing.

"It is rare that I get to care for you nowadays. I'm usually running after Aviva. Let me do this."

Amia blushed and nodded her head. Ezra was her cousin but he had always been more of an older brother to her and Aviva. When her uncle and aunt died in a car accident, he was brought into the Estate's main house to be raised alongside her. It had been a rough transition. Losing both parents at once would have been difficult for any child to deal with and Ezra was no exception.

She was the pampered girl living in the main house with both of her parents alive and loving her. When she cried, which was usually for anything, her mother was always there to pick her up and dote on her. At that point in her life, her father was not yet head of their family's company so he had plenty of time to spend teaching her how to dig in the dirt and care for her own small garden. If there was one thing Ezra hated the most it was watching her spend time with her father. Her Uncle Allen was her father's identical twin brother. It must have hurt him exponentially to see his father's face every day but know that it wasn't him.

To get back at her, he shunned her at school and ignored the bullies when they teased her. At home, he pushed her whenever he walked by and stomped all over her flowers. Once, he even stuck gum in her hair as she was sleeping and all of her hair had to be shaved off. Ezra was a horrid child but the day they found out that her mother died, he instantly blamed himself. That day Arlo was the only one to return with a crying bundle of blankets and a face made of stone. Ezra locked himself in his room for a week and only came out for meals. When he did finally begin to come around more, he was glued to her side and it was impossible to get rid of him. He was attached worse than the gum he'd stuck in her hair.

"Amia." Ezra sighed and Amia blinked. She had been so lost in thought she had not realized that he was trying to get her attention. "Amia you've got to pay better attention. The others are going to eat you alive if you don't."

"Sorry, Ezra." Amia said softly.

"Don't apologize. It's your first conference so I understand if you are a little distracted." he said, placing her last dress into the suitcase. "It's in Dallas right?"

"Yea." Amia replied and her good mood started to wane a bit. Ezra's seemed to darken as well.

"I have heard about the arrangement being drafted between Uncle and Sabaku."

Amia nodded her head slowly. It was only a matter of time before Ezra found out.

"Have you made a decision?" He asked and Amia nodded slowly.

"Good. I have heard that Sabaku is a stable person. You yourself called him...kind. Arranged marriages are common in our family. Your mother's marriage was arranged and there is no doubt in my mind that she loved Uncle." Ezra said as he closed her suitcase and zipped it up.

"Family above all else. Duty to the cause. Honor what is right. Those are our words and with them seals our fate. I know that you will uphold them to the best of your ability. The clan always comes first Amia. We have always succeeded that way. However, I am not so sure as I once was. There are things that are asked of us that hurt deeply and those words provide little comfort at night."

….

Sunday, October 13, 2017

New York City International Airport Departure Gate D

...

"Are you going to miss me, little brother?" Ira asked as he threw an arm around Sylas' shoulder only to be pushed off. "So mean. I will just have to find love elsewhere."

Sylas' eye twitched as he realized just what his brother meant by finding love elsewhere. He turned around to see Amia approaching them with Ezra carrying her suitcase. His heart twisted as she came closer and closer. Their eyes caught for a brief moment and a flood of foreign emotion flooded through him. What was this? He felt as though something was being taken from him. It was as if she was getting on that plane with something that was his. That night of the gala she had stolen something from him and he was afraid that he wouldn't get it back.

Amia broke eye contact with him just as Ira reached her. He watched his brother place a hand on her shoulder and lead her to where he stood. His heart clenched uncomfortably at their approach. They had not stood in the same proximity in what felt like forever but had only been a few days. The soft scent of her vanilla shampoo wafted up to his nose. He would trade anything to bury his face in her neck and inhale deeply.

"Are you excited?" Ira asked as he took her luggage away from Ezra. "I hear that this is your first conference."

"More nervous I guess." She said with a small smile.

"Don't be. We will practice your speech on the plane."

"If anything happens, call me." Ezra said stiffly and Amia turned and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I'll be fine Ezra." She reassured and the brunette gently pushed her away with a blush on his cheeks. Clearly, he was easily embarrassed by public affection.

"Say goodbye to little Sylas, Amia. He's in a bad mood today. Maybe you can cheer him up." Ira teased.

Amia didn't look at him. She didn't turn in his direction. Instead, she mumbled a half-hearted goodbye and shuffled past him to her boarding gate. Ezra and Ira were too busy talking amongst themselves to notice the snub but it cut worse than waking up to an empty bed.

He desired nothing more than to run after her. To stop her from leaving even if it was only for a short trip. He couldn't though. What would he even say? 'I feel weird stay here?' That sounded weak even to himself.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and started walking towards the airport's main entrance. He wasn't good with words but he was a man of action. He was going to get to the bottom of what was happening, but why did he feel like he was losing before he had even begun?

…..

Monday, October 14, 2017, 4:02pm

Hato Enterprises

...

"It's so empty." Sara sighed as they reentered the office from a slew of meetings. "It feels kinda lonely without Amia."

Sylas didn't reply to her statement. Instead, he went to his desk and immediately began what might just be the most foolhardy task he'd ever undertaken. He was going to tackle this from the ground up. The Hato were a wealthy family but they were hemorrhaging money. Something odd was going on with their accounts and although their stocks were no longer being toyed with, it was only a matter of time before they were again. This time that was even more of a problem since the Uri stocks were one and the same with the Hato. If he could find the leak, Arlo might reconsider marrying Amia off. He wasn't sure of Arlo's real reasoning but it more than likely had to deal with money. Money was the root of everything around here.

"Doesn't it feel lonely Sylas? It's strange because it's been so long since we've been alone in an office together." Sara mused and he grunted a reply. She wasn't satisfied with his response so she came around to the other side of his desk and leaned on his chair. "Ya know, in the three years I've known you I've never seen you take an interest in anyone. Why is that?"

Sylas shrugged as he began scrolling through the quarterly earnings for the Hato for the last two years. He needed access to a detailed accounting spreadsheet and that wasn't something he had access to. He actually had no idea who handled the Hato finances but he knew someone who did. He glanced at his watch; it was only four in the afternoon. Ezra should still be in his office. He picked up his phone and an empty USB Drive and shoved both items into his pockets.

"Where are you going? You don't have any meetings this afternoon?" Sara asked, surprised by his sudden haste.

"I have to speak with someone. Answer the phone if anyone calls." Sylas replied as he stood up from his chair.

He moved to walk away from the desk but Sara grabbed his hand. Her hand felt so strange in comparison to Amia's. The feeling of her hand in his from the other night still haunted him. He longed to intertwine his fingers with her's once more just to make the craving disappear. He slipped his hand out of Sara's and her brow furrowed a bit as she cradled the rejected hand close to her chest.

"Hey, when you're done with everything today. How about we go grab a drink or something? You seem tense."

"Another time Sara, " he replied, closing the door behind him.

...

Monday, October 14, 2017, 4:15p

Hato Enterprise

...

"Hato."

"Uri."

Sylas and Ezra stared at each other from across his desk. The Uri didn't know Ezra very well outside of a few limited interactions but he appeared to be the most stereotypical 'Hato' of the Hato children he had encountered. Amia was too soft while Aviva was too impulsive. Ezra was, for all intents and purposes, even keel in all things. The man in question leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk and knitting his fingers together.

"To what do I owe this visit?" Ezra asked as Sylas approached the desk.

"I am in need of your assistance. There is no other reason that I would willingly seek you out." Sylas replied flatly and Ezra's eye twitched.

"I think you have me mistaken for Amia, I am not a patient man. I will not put up with your attitude the way I'm sure she does."

Sylas smirked and sank into one of the cushy gray chairs in front of Ezra's desk. The brunette bristled at his lack of jurisprudence in his office.

"I have a suspicion that more is going on here than you Hato are willing to let on." Sylas said as he rested his cheek against his palm.

Ezra's eyes narrowed at the accusation and his lips pursed into a tight line.

"We have been nothing but transparent with you through out this entire process and you dare to come into my office when the ink is barely dry and accuse us of duplicity." Ezra scoffed. "The gall of an Uri knows no bounds. I at least thought you were better than to peddle in conspiracies."

Sylas rolled his eyes and tossed the USB drive he had brought onto Ezra's desk. The Hato looked at the innocuous piece of black plastic suspiciously but put it into the port on his computer.

"Click on the first file." Sylas instructed.

He waited patiently as Ezra's pale eyes scanned the few documents that he had been able to compile on such short notice. When he was done. Ezra leaned back in his chair and regarded him skeptically but the aura around him wasn't as hostile as before.

"Uri. What do you want?" Ezra asked.

'I want your cousin back' was on the tip of his tongue, but he decided it would be best not to divulge what he was really after.

"I need to get into your accounting files for the last two years or more." He said and Ezra snorted.

"Why in the world would I trust you with that kind of access?"

"The last time I checked we have been turned into one and the same. Why would the left hand not know what the right is doing?"

Ezra regarded him for a moment before letting out a slow even breath through his nose.

"Do not betray my trust."

...

Tuesday, October 15, 2017, 10:01am

DayBreak Coffee

...

Sylas' brow furrowed as he quickly thumbed through the giant stack of documents Ezra had laid on the café table before him. The Hato seemed to only trust him so far as he could throw him and refused to allow him electronic access to the files. Seeing that he couldn't use a simple search function, going through these files by hand was going to be a lot more time-consuming than he had initially anticipated. It was no matter. With Amia away, he had plenty of time on his hands to shift through this. He let out a huff and crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned back in his chair.

"Sufficient enough for you Uri?" Ezra asked flatly.

"It's a start."

"That is only half of the information I was able to obtain. I will go through the other half on my own. What you brought earlier indicates there is a leak somewhere in our company. We need to find where it's coming from-" Ezra started but fell silent as a brunette woman approached their table.

Sylas raised his eyebrows slightly as he watched the usually stoic man before him stiffen in his chair. He looked over at the waitress and found her to be nothing he would write home about. She had an athletic build overall, narrow hips with an average bust. There was nothing particularly graceful about her either. In fact, her mannerisms were rather... forceful. Her just placing down his coffee was done with a lot more force than necessary. Sylas supposed that she was pretty but finding other women attractive was becoming increasingly difficult.

"French press. No cream, no sugar." She said before placing a cup of green tea in front of Ezra. "You're back again. That's the third time this week."

Sylas smirked as an ever-so-faint blush dusted across Ezra's cheeks. Apparently blushing easily was a hereditary trait. Ezra coughed awkwardly and averted the brunette's gaze. Somehow the Hato still managed to keep a straight face. The waitress opened her mouth to say something else but thought better of it and walked away. Sylas quirked an eyebrow at Ezra and the man's blush immediately receded.

"The tea here is good." He defended and obstinately took a sip from his cup.

Sylas rolled his eyes and began to read through the data presented to him. He had bigger things to focus on than who got Ezra Hato hot and bothered under the collar.

….

Friday, October 17, 2017, 10:01 am

Uri Headquarters- Dallas Division

...

"Chin up." Ira instructed as he used two fingers to lift Amia's chin a little higher. "Again."

"Thank you all for joining us-" Amia started but was stopped by Ira's rather eccentric assistant.

"I don't think she should start off by saying 'Thank you.'" Kent mused as he tapped his fingers against his chin.

"It's fine." Ira said with a roll of his eyes.

"It's pedantic."

"Again."

"Thank you all for joining us for this..."

Amia looked straight ahead at a random spot on the wall. Shifting her gaze every so often as Ira had taught her so that it would look as though she were making actual eye contact with her imaginary audience. Ira stood before her with arms crossed as Kent paced behind him, both men soaking up and analyzing her speech. Ira had been making her practice since the moment they set foot on the plane and while his critiques were a bit harsh, she knew it would only make her better. They had practiced so many times now that she didn't even need her cue cards anymore. There would be a teleprompter with her speech scrolling through the screen when the time came for her to go on stage but Ira had insisted that she commit her half of the speech to memory.

"...our hope is to find innovative solutions and collaborations that will benefit not only our companies but the people we serve. I wish you the best of luck in all of your endeavors. Thank you."

When she finished talking, Kent stopped walking and Ira uncrossed his arms.

"W-well?" She asked nervously as the two men stared at her in silence.

"You're cute. I'll give you that." Kent said with a smirk and Ira shot him a rather harsh glare.

"Kent go see if Samson needs any help." Ira instructed and Kent threw back his head and laughed as he headed out the door.

"Whatever you say, boss."

As the door to the office shut behind him, Amia allowed her shoulders to slump and her gaze to turn downward. They had not taken a break since the moment they had arrived and she felt utterly drained. While she usually enjoyed being busy, her mind kept drifting down paths that it shouldn't go down. She wondered if she would ever get used to the sharp smells of Dallas or if she would ever be able to drink enough to combat the ever-present feeling of dehydration. She also kept wondering what Sylas was doing at the moment. She had been so cold to him when she left. Would he hold it against her? She hoped that he did. Everything would be easier that way.

"There is something on your mind." Ira said and Amia shook her head. "Do you need a break?"

"No." She replied quickly despite the skeptical look in Ira's eyes. "I can continue."

"You look like you are about to keel over."

"How can I improve my speech?"

Ira regarded her impassively for a moment and for a brief second she regretted interrupting him.

"Your speech is fine but your words are hollow. You are unconvincing."

Amia only nodded at his criticism. Her heart just wasn't in this speech. She had to do well though. There was no other option. While she was no longer slated to accept her father's position one day, she was still the heir apparent to everyone else. As such, she had to perform well on stage. With Ira up there with her, she doubted that she would completely fail but she wanted to pull her own weight. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth to recite her speech again but was stopped by Ira poking her in the middle of her forehead.

"Sylas was correct. You are stubborn." Ira said, an almost imperceptible smirk on his lips.

"Again."