Frozen in Time by Radia Al Rashid (the speed reading book .TXT) 📖

down. It’s not your fault...”

“What is not my fault? To get hurt like a pathetic asshole seeing my once prince charming with a beautiful girl living together happily ever after?” I cut Sarah short.

“Happily, ever after? I doubt that though!” she shrugs.

“It’s no time to joke and again, yes! They’ll end up together, MARK MY WORDS. And I’m a loser to get hurt thinking about that!” I keep panting sharply.

“C-calm down!” she nervously rushes to me.

“Nope, Sarah! I cannot just calm down. I hate LA! This place is a cursed pit for me. I wanna go back to New York and yes, I’m gonna throw my resignation letter on Rogers’ face. It all sounds fair enough! Trust me, I’m not staying in here for one more day.”

“Evelyn, stop shouting and making stupid decisions while standing in front of the restaurant well, where you got to meet your ex...”

“He’s not my ex! He even wasn’t my boyfriend. See? The biggest dorky loser of your friend is here crying over a guy who wasn’t even her boyfriend to begin with.”

“Shush! Stop yelling, woman! My ears are gonna fall off of my face. Now, zip your mouth and let’s go home.”

“I don’t wanna...”

“What the heck I just told you!” she yells back for the first time, “I’m calling the uber and get in the car once it arrives, without any more word.”

“Why are you yelling at me?”

“Because... you’re going nuts and I need to tame the volcano brewing inside you asap or else people will sue us.” She whisper-yells as a group of people passes by to enter the restaurant.

I chew on my lip to halt the curse words from bursting out of my mouth.

 

Richard’s POV

I’m pretty sure she just got out of here to avoid my company as Mel later told us how she rushed out of the restaurant stating to arrange a meet up later. Whatever, I think it’s been none of our fault, it’s just... happened too quickly and unfortunately to even comprehend. So, Aron, huh? I wouldn’t be surprised if they started dating or something. He told me earlier that he got a crush on her, well! It still bothers me a little. Why after 5 years, she had to come back! am I sounding like a jerk? I mean, it’s her life after all. Who am I to ask why she’s here in the first place! Damnit! It’s gonna get more messed up if Mel finds out. But again, we were not even a couple back then! She was never too open with me about herself or maybe she was becoming easier gradually but... it wasn’t my fault, really! All I wanted was to help her and she was the one misunderstanding me the whole time. Can I blame her for that? Maybe yeah... I don’t know!

Arriving my office, I decide to text Aron about her and the bizarre surname she’s currently holding or, maybe she just told it to confuse me! who knows.

“Hey Aron, got to know something. You free up there?”

“Yo! Sure, what is it?” In a minute my mobile dings.

“Why is Evelyn Lawrence going as Evelyn Walker now?” oops too wry and direct.

It is seen by him and the three dots appear and disappear multiple times before he writes, “Um... how do you know? Did you meet her by any chance?”

“U-huh”

“How?”

“Answer my question dude.”

“I-I think it’s because she and her family have been in quite a complicated situation with the murderer tracking them down. So, they decided to go a bit incognito...”

“What murderer? That psychopath? Still?” I become startled for real.

“That’s what she said, dude. I don’t know.”

“Woah! Okay, cool. Talk to you later then.”

“Cool! You coming to Sam’s party?”

“U-huh, I will!”

“Good!”

I lean back against my chair undoing couple of buttons of my shirt followed by loosening my tie. This doesn’t sound good. If that psycho is still after Eve’s family, then Sarah cannot just leave her alone here. Should I talk to her? Shit.

 

Chapter Eleven

 

Evelyn’s POV

The rest of the week passed by almost unceremoniously and with a lot more workloads. Aron has smiled and casually talked once or twice but for some weird reason, I haven’t been able to reply without flinching a little thinking about the fact that I’m still in love with his friend and I already went on a date with him. O My! That’s unsettling.

“Wake up, dummy! My flight is in about an hour.” Sarah yells right in my ear.

“So?” I groan.

“So? Really? You got to get your ass up and see me off.”

“Why should you leave already? Why don’t you stay for another week?”

“Evelyn! My father will kick me out of the universe then.”

“So what?”

“Wake up!” she yells louder.

I almost jump to my back, “You’ve become such a bitch! You know that?”

“O yeah! I’m aware Ma’am.” She winks.

“Argh! I’m gonna miss you, idiot.”

“I know! Who doesn’t?”

“Really?”

“Nope! Now get up girl or else I’ll miss my flight.” She practically drags me down by my foot.

“Ouch!” I growl while landing on my butt. “My ass!”

“Will be blown off if you don’t get ready within 10. Go…go…go!”

“You’re sounding like that jerk Rogers.”

“At least he doesn’t choose to sulk over his old love!” she smirks.

“SARAH!”

“What! Come on, Eve, what have I been telling you? LEAVE HIM.”

“So? Am I holding him now?”

“Yeah, in your stupid little heart.”

“Trade it!” I scowl.

“Nope, thank you honey! I’m alright with mine. Now get up.” She nudges me.

“Ugh! Give me 20.”

“Nope! You’re not having any more minutes than 12.5.”

“What?”

“You heard it.” She shrugs.

“You actually are worse than Rogers.” I scorn.

“I knew it.” She grins.

“What?”

“You really like that guy.”

“Who? Are you crazy?”

“You just told how great he is.”

“When?”

“Duh! Better than me! what does that mean?” she pumps her brows.

“Why does it even mean he’s great? I don’t understand!”

“Implication, silly! Now get up or I’m gonna leave the house without you.”

“Such a witch.”

She grins.

 

“You should go to the party.” She says with a matter of fact tone.

“Why?”

“What made you so moody today?”

“Nothing.”

“Quit talking trash. What happened?”

“I’m panicked, Sarah! I don’t wanna stay here alone... any more. Can I come fly with you?”

“Wh-what! Why? Eve, you’ve taken up this opportunity to boost your confidence and step out of that bleak oblivion, remember?”

“Yeah, but I didn’t understand what it would feel like facing the reality. It’s full of shit.”

“IT IS SHIT! Does it mean you’ll keep dodging it? Eve, you are living in the reality and you need to face it no matter what.”

“But I don’t wanna bring back the drama from my past.”

“Then don’t.”

“That easy, huh?”

“Absolutely! You don’t want it, you avoid it... end of the story.”

“Sarah! Why can’t I be strong and determined like you?”

“Because, you are more determined than me and undoubtedly one true badass. The worst part is you are denying the real Evelyn! You are constantly trying to kill that bold-spirited, strong and confident girl that you really are. Remember, how bravely you faced the piles of pure crap when Jules has this accident? You were stronger than anyone back then, you know why? Cos you are that girl who knows how to keep fighting for her life, her existence.”

“Too many heavy words!” I scratch the back of my head.

She tugs a string of my hair, “You need these heavy talks now cos you’re becoming a classic asshole.”

“You bitch!” I scowl.

She smirks and points to my phone, “It’s Rogers.”

“Who? Where?” I frantically look through the car window.

“Silly! It’s him calling, right here.” She laughs.

“O my God! NO! Why! O Wait, what if he calls me back to New York! Then I’ll have the chance to leave LA! Yikes!” I yelp before picking up the call.

“Hello, Miss Walker. Mr. Wilson reported positively about you. So, I decided to include you in the managerial committee there in LA. As I thought it right, I emailed Mr. Wilson all that should be done from his side. I expect you’ll cooperate.”

“What... wait Mr. Rogers.”

“I have one more minute to spare in this call. Can you briefly state what you are trying to say?”

“I-I am not ready to, you know I was to say that I will be really obliged if you...”

“No need to waste time expressing your gratitude Miss Walker. I think of it as an absolutely unnecessary step anyway. Good day!” he hangs up.

“That bitch hung up on me, again!”

“What is it? Why were you stammering like a patient with real speaking impairment?”

“is it that funny to you?” I snap at Sarah.

“No... no! I didn’t mean to sound mean or anything. Come on! I was just pulling your leg. What did he say?”

“He appointed me in the managerial committee of LA without even caring to ask me beforehand! And yes, he had the audacity to assume that I was being overtly grateful to him. No! I was not! I am not grateful to this retarded cow. What is he made of? OMG! I am LIVID!”

“Ouch! That sounds intense. He is a little too much.”

“A little? Sarah! He’s the worst in the history of creation. I bet dinosaurs were much more considerate than him.”

“O yeah! I doubt...”

“Sarah!”

“Oops! I’m sorry but you need to look at this from a different angle. He gave you a promotion. A great one. You should be happy, Eve.”

“Nope! I’m not happy. I was looking for loopholes to leave LA and now he’s just tied me up with this cursed place.”

“It’s not cursed! It’s a beautiful place here. Come on Eve! Calm down a little. He might me a big jerk or whatever your heart desire to call him but he is pushing you to your ultimate potential. You really should not fly off the handle like this.”

“He is a fricking psychotic robot. I’m telling you, nobody with a human like brain and sound psychological state talks like him. He sounds more robotic than Alexa! Gosh! Do you think he also talks this mechanically to his own wife? Children?”

“I don’t know, haven’t been there in his house.” She casually shrugs.

I groan in reply.

Chapter Twelve

 

“You coming to the party?” Aron’s text makes me flip the cozy blanket over to grab the phone. To be brutally honest, I don’t want to go but neither do I want to create any unnecessary drama between my manager and me especially when I am in the managerial committee right now.

“Um... as I said I’ll try my best to come.”

“Why no Evelyn, you have to come. Everyone from the office is coming. And besides, we’re in the same team now...;)”

Argh! I’m gonna skin you alive, Rogers! I growl.

“Ok, I’ll come.”

“Cool! See you