Sinful Mates 1-3 novel Chapter 21

　　When work was just about finished, I received a call from the foyer downstairs. A package had arrived downstairs. Quickly ducking down, I retrieved the box and made my way back up, curious to see what the package was. Grabbing a pair of scissors, I opened them and slid the blade down the sides to tear the tape. Once I had removed the tape sealing the box, I opened it.

　　I sat back in my seat, I completely forgot about my mother’s remains. I was supposed to get a call to pick them up, not have them posted. The hospital was directly across from us. Why didn’t they ring me instead of shipping them over? I could feel my bottom lip tremble as I pulled the urn out. I bit down on it, trying to stop it from quivering. I looked at the plastic urn, this was all that was left of my mother. It just didn’t seem real that a woman so strong willed and full of life could be reduced to ash. Trying to hold everything together, I placed her back in the box. I just didn’t understand the meaning of life if death is how it ends. I remember when I was a child and a close friend of mine died, I asked my grandmother at the time that exact question.

　　My grandmothers reply was, “It’s the memories in between that of life and death that matter.” I didn’t understand what she meant back then. In a way I do now. It’s the memories we leave behind the good and the bad, the memories others hold of us that get to live on. Now that’s all I have left of her, memories. Memories are what I will now have to hold closest to my heart because now that she is gone, they will be the only thing to remember her by. Suddenly realising I will never hear her voice again, never feel the warmth of her hugs, all the emotions I have been forcing to the back of my mind rushing forward because of a small plastic urn, the only thing left of the amazing woman she was.

　　Lost in my thoughts, I was staring off blankly into space. Only when Tobias came out of his office did my attention go back to the present. “What’s in the box?” he asked, about to open the lid and peer inside.

　　I closed the box before he could see. “Nothing,” I said, picking it up and following after him. Theo walked out of his office and started heading to the elevator seeing that we were ready to leave.

　　I stepped in the elevator and moved to the back behind them, the box clutched tightly in my hands. I felt like I was autopilot, going through motions but not really experiencing it. Walking to the car, I jumped in the back. Ignoring Tobias trying to tell me to get in front. I couldn’t sit near him after today’s earlier incident. I suddenly felt guilty that Theo kissed me. Did I lead him on in any way? Tobias hasn’t mentioned it. But by the way he refused to talk to me most of the day, I could tell he was pissed off. When the back door opened, I was surprised to find Tobias hopping in the back with me. Theo got into the driver’s seat, for which I was grateful.

　　I stared at Tobias as he slid along the seat sitting next to me, his leg brushing up against my bare leg. I sighed and placed my head back and looked out the window. The drive back was slower than usual. There must be an accident somewhere, as the traffic seemed to keep stopping and we found ourselves stuck on the highway. Moving the box, I placed it on the floor of the car. Tobias glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “What are doing this afternoon?” he asked while we were stopped at another intersection. Theo pulled out, deciding to go another way and the car started moving again weaving in and out of traffic.

　　“Nothing as always,” I told him, still staring out the window.

　　“Good, means you will be happy to have visitors then.” Turning away from the window, I looked at him. I didn’t feel like visitors, I just wanted to go home and snuggle up with the stray and sleep.

　　“Who?” I asked.

　　“Myself, maybe Theo later.” I was suddenly overwhelmed. I didn’t know how to be around Tobias outside the office. He was always so domineering to be around, let alone be stuck alone with him in the apartment. Every time I had been around Tobias usually Theo was there, so it wasn’t too awkward.

　　“Why?” I asked, suddenly worried he was going to want to talk about me kissing his boyfriend, or is it manfriend? I don’t know what to class their strange relationship as.

　　“To make sure you don’t find the bottom of that bottle that was left on the floor this morning.”

　　I rolled my eyes. “You make it seem like I have drinking problem.”

　　“Do you?” he asked, making me glare at him. The car stopped again this time at the lights down the street from the apartment building. Unclicking my seatbelt, I hopped out at the traffic lights. I wasn’t going to sit here and be told what I can and can’t do with my body. If I want to drink, that’s none of their business. It’s not hurting anyone.

　　When I opened the door, Tobias hand came down on my knee grabbing me. “What are you doing?”

　　“Here I was thinking it was pretty self-explanatory. I’m getting out,” I said, snatching my handbag and my mother’s urn before stepping out in the middle of the banked-up traffic. I walked to the curb only to hear Tobias had opened his door too. He was now following me down the street. He jogged over to catch up to me. I ignored him and walked faster; he fell in line with me keeping pace. Why won’t he just leave me alone? “Will you just leave me alone; I am so not in the mood to deal with you right now.”

　　“I am not done speaking to you. Until I am, you will listen to what I have to say.” I ignored him and walked straight up the stairs of the apartment building. Theo was still waiting in line with the build-up of cars that lined the street. Tobias however was right on my tail, refusing to let me escape him.

　　Walking through the foyer, the young woman at the front desk called out, “Boss, I have some letters for you.” She grabbed something from behind the desk and running over to him. Tobias stopped and huffed in annoyance.

　　Boss? Let me guess, he owns this place too. Wouldn’t surprise me. Escaping while he was distracted, I made my way to my apartment, jamming the key in. I unlocked the door, quickly stepping in and closing the door and locking the deadbolt.

　　The stray was gone again, but I had no doubt he would be back later tonight. He always seemed to go walk about of a day. Going over to the courtyard door, I quickly closed it so Tobias couldn’t get in to go on one of his rampages. When I was walking back out to the loungeroom, Tobias was leaning on the counter. I jumped and shrieked at him just appearing out of thin air. “How did you get in?”

　　“I have a key,” he told me, holding them up and showing me.

　　“Please Tobias, can we argue another day? I’m sorry I kissed Theo; I know it was wrong. I get that, but please can we do this Tomorrow?”

　　He didn’t say anything, just turned around and started rummaging through the cupboard. Pulling bottle after bottle out of the box I had stored mum’s spirits in. Walking over, I grabbed them trying to place them back in. He ignored me and pulled them out again.

　　“What are you doing, Tobias?”

　　“You have a problem, and I am removing the problem.”

　　“I don’t have a problem.”

　　“Well, this says otherwise and the fact that you are constantly hungover at work.” I jumped up and sat on the bench and watched him.