Emma, being the good friend that she was, was picking me up at my office this time because this time around everyone would be leaving the building and the stares didn’t feel so bad anymore with a friend walking beside me.

Also, Emma was tougher than she looked because whenever a person shot me a weird look, laughed with their friends, pointing into my direction, or even attempted to talk to me, she sent them a death glare that would have made even Satan proud.

Even though Emma managed to distract me from the mess I was in for some time, everything came back to me as soon as we had left or hidden corner table in the safe little café.

Some people were bluntly staring at me and I could feel my palms starting to sweat, and it wasn’t because of the whether because even though it was getting warmer now, it still wasn’t exactly T-shirt-weather.

Hesitantly Emma returned to work and so did I, but I wasn’t able to concentrate any more than I had been an hour ago, so I spent my time trying to look busy while whispering and gaping co-workers were passing the hallway. Every time one of them said my name the force with that I was punching the keys on my laptop increased until I was afraid they would break.

The one hour that I had left felt like a torturous eternity and when it finally knocked on the door I was still so lost in self-pity, that I almost shrieked.

There was a man outside, and for a second I thought he might just be another co-worker trying to mock me, but when the man looked up I saw who it was. It was Jared, but he didn’t wear his usual cocky smile and he seemed more serious than ever.

A little perplex I stood up and nodded in his direction, mumbling a “Come in”, that he probably couldn’t even here, still he understood my gestures and stepped inside, not that I could have stopped him anyway.

I checked my phone. It was exactly 2p.m.

“Ally? Damien sent me to pick you up. Are you ready to go?”, he asked, and I nodded, maybe a little too fast. My pride hadn’t allowed me to take the day off, but I had never been so ready to leave a place in my entire life.

Within a few seconds I had grabbed my things and wanted to walk outside, down the hallway to the closest elevator, but before I could do so, Jared grabbed me by the shoulder and looked down at me, with his eyebrows pulled together.

“Everyone is so worried about you. How are you holding up so far?”, he asked and that even Jared seemed to me serious for once, reminded me of the fact that I was up shit creek without a paddle.

My eyes started burning again and I didn’t trust my voice to answer. Having to sit here, seeing other people laugh at me for the last two hours had been hell. I couldn’t be strong anymore now.

Jared sighed and pulled me into a hug.

“It’s going to alright; you’ll see. People are in the news all the time and most of them aren’t even talked about anymore two days later.”

I took in a deep breath. Right now, wasn’t the time to cry. We stayed like that for a few seconds before I pulled back and sniffled a little, while forcing myself to smile a little.

“You are right. It’s not that bad.”, I said and for a second a shadow of worries flickered across his face, as if he knew something I didn’t but before I could ask, he pulled me outside the office.

He walked beside me, but kept his distance, for which I was thankful. People would probably even hate me even more if they thought I was hiding behind this brick shithouse of a man.

He was similarly to Damien, tall with broad shoulders, and he was easily a few inches taller than most of the men here. Maybe that was why nobody dared to say a word while we silently walked along. But as soon as we had passed the people, they started whispering behind our backs and I could only hardly resist the urge to look back at them, just like Jared who seemed to tense whenever he heard someone whisper my name.

I wish I could have said that I had gotten used to it by now, but that would have been a lie.

The car ride was quiet. I opened my mouth to say something, then closed it again, then opened it again, and closed it. There wasn’t really anything to say.

“Since when are you so quiet?”, I asked finally, and the corners of Jared’s mouth turned upwards a little.

“Well you aren’t exactly talkative yourself, are you?”, he responded, and I bit my lip. He wasn’t wrong.

“Well, at least I am trying to make this a little less awkward.”, I defended myself.

“Less awkward than being in the news for seducing your boss? That horse has left the barn, don’t you think?”, he asked, grinning this time and I gasped a little before crossing my arms over my chest.

Well, that was rude.

“I didn’t seduce him!”, I replied defensively, and my voice was a few pitches higher than usually.

His smile widened a little and I began to think that he actually thought this to be quite funny. Too bad that I didn’t, but at least he was back to being the normal, sarcastic Jared that I had met. But still there seemed to be something preying on his mind.

When he didn’t respond I realized that apparently the conversation was over, and I leaned back into my seat while he gracefully maneuvered us through the busy streets.

When we arrived, Clary was already wrenched open the car door before I even had the chance to unbuckle my seat belt. She pulled me out of the car and into a hug.

“I am so, so sorry. This- this shouldn’t have happened. But don’t worry, we will figure it out. It’s going to be okay.”, she stuttered pulling me closer and when she finally let go her lower lip was trembling and I could see that she was pale. She usually wasn’t this emotional, was she?

Why was she more upset about this, than I was?

“Clary, it’s not your fault. I am the one that should be sorry, I-”

When Clary started crying, I stopped talking and grabbed her shoulders. There had to be more to this, right?

“Clary, what is it?”, I asked, and Clary bit her lip, avoiding eye contact with me. I shook her a little, just like Emma had done with me, and it seemed to work because finally she looked me into the eyes.

“It’s Damien.”, she finally said, and it felt like a stab in my heart. I felt the color draining from my skin.

“What is it? Is- is he okay?”, I asked, and she bit her brittle lip, not wanting to answer.

“Yes, he is… He isn’t hurt or anything. You should talk to him yourself.”, she finally said, but it didn’t help to reassure me, and neither did Jared’s hand that he was calmly laying on my shoulder.

“She is right. Go talk to him.”, he said before pulling Clary into an intimate hug. My heart would have jumped with happiness for them, but right now the only thing I could think about was Damien.

Jared handed the car keys to the valet before we made our way to the entrance hall and to the elevator, way too slowly for my liking and with every step my heart rate was increasing, not just because I was worried about Damien, but also his parents.

They had welcomed me so warmly, despite what I had done, they had let me stay at their place and provided for everything Charlie and I had needed, and they had given me a job. And in return all they had gotten was scandalous pictures that could ruin Damien’s career.

So, what would they say?

On our way upstairs I felt relegated to the day I first came here. I was nervous, sweaty, scared, and exhausted. Mostly nervous and scared actually.

I smoothed non-existent wrinkles in my dress and took another deep breath before the elevator doors slid open.