You can't keep avoiding Carl forever

Anne's house***

Anne was standing at the doorstep of Dexter's room with crossed arms and with a straight face, looking at Dexter who was lying down on his bed, smiling like an idiot as he was conversing with Treasure on the phone.

Dexter hasn't seen Anne yet and she has been standing there for over twenty minutes. She knows her brother to be a happy kid but she has never seen him so exuberant like this before. It seems to her that her brother was really into whoever he was talking to on the phone.

Dexter finally ended his call. He felt a presence in the room and he lifted his eyes and saw Anne staring at him like he just did something wrong.

The bruises he had on his body have almost cleared up. You would barely see them except if you looked closely. Also, with the doctor's recommendation, a rib belt was worn around his chest to help him recover from the fractured rib he sustained.

Dexter was still willing to go to work despite not being strong enough but Anne insisted he stays home until he fully recovers.

"how would you feel if I was the one listening to your private conversation," Dexter said to Anne.

Anne walked inside Dexter's room and sat down on the bed close to him.

"The same way you felt when I was dating Carlos. You never liked Carlos and you couldn't stand seeing us together." She said.

"Please don't compare Treasure to that bipolar ex-boyfriend of yours," Dexter said.

'Treasure? So that's her name. Interesting' Anne thought.

Dexter's phone beeped and he checked it immediately. "I just got a text from my boss, Detective Noah," He said staring at his phone.

"what does he want?" Anne asked.

"He's asking me if could send some important documents to prosecutor Carl… dang it!" Dexter groaned.

"I thought Noah knows you're not at work," Anne asked

"He knows. I just didn't tell him that I was skipping work because I'm not feeling well." He said.

"why? You should've told him. I'm sure your boss will understand." She said.

"geez… now I just have to figure a way to send those papers to prosecutor Carl." Dexter heaved an exasperated sigh.

"can't you just forget about it? You don't look so good and you still haven't recovered yet." Anne said.

"No, I have to go. Those papers are too important and if prosecutor Carl needs them right away, he has to get them ASAP" Dexter said in a low tone. He groaned in pain as he tried to get up from the bed.

"Wait, just hold on," Anne said, gesturing her hand for him to stay still on the bed.

"if those papers are that important, why do you have them?" she asked.

"they're supposed to be with Detective Noah, not me but he wanted me to have them since I usually go to work early and probably because he sees me as his errand boy" Dexter rolled his eyes.

"Prosecutor Carl has a secretary why didn't he ask her for the papers instead," he said silently to himself.

"just tell Noah, you can't send those papers... Look at you, you look like you're going to collapse once you step out of this house," Anne said and she wasn't kidding.

"Orrr… I can give you the papers and you can give it to prosecutor Carl yourself." Dexter winked.

Anne's heart skipped.

"What?" she exclaimed.

"I said you can give the…"

"…shut up! I heard you" Anne cuts in.

"I… I can't do that... can't you uhm… can't you deliver them or…" she stuttered.

Meanwhile, Dexter could see the worriedness on Anne's face.

Anne suddenly felt nervous at the idea of seeing Carl and not just seeing him, she has to hand some documents to him face to face.

She hasn't seen or talked to Carl for a week and she felt it would be awkward if they met. She has no idea how Carl is feeling right now but she knows how he felt the last time they were together. He was heartbroken.

"No, I don't want to deliver them, what if it gets misplaced? You have to hand the papers to prosecutor Carl yourself" Dexter said and Anne sighed, looking down.

"I understand why you've been avoiding him but you two are still going to meet somehow..." he said.

"…Fine, I'll give the papers to Noah so he can give them to Carl himself. How about that?" Anne suggested.

"tsk tsk tsk" Dexter shook his head like he was disappointed in his sister.

'Why can't she for once not act like a coward.' he thought.

"What? Noah can give it to him right?" she desperately asked, hoping for Dexter to say yes. She didn't have the courage to meet Carl face to face.

"yes he can but you can't keep avoiding Carl forever," Dexter said.

"I think it's your turn now to mind your business," Anne said and Dexter laughed.

...…..

Anne was prepared to go to the NYPD company and hopefully give the papers to Noah.

She was on a black tank top and white flare shorts that matched the white sneakers she was wearing. Her hair was packed in a high ponytail that complemented that beautiful face of hers. She looked so gorgeous.

Dexter handed her the papers and Anne folded them and kept them inside her small purse.

"no no no stop, why are you folding them like that? Don't you realize those are important documents?" Dexter said like he was scolding her.

"Too late Dex," Anne said nonchalantly and left the house.

Anne boarded a cab to the NYPD company. She was hoping not to bump into Carl by chance because it would be too awkward for her. After asking him to stay away from her, now she's in his company.

Meanwhile, Carl was in the hallway outside his office, talking on the phone.

"I don't like it when I ask you to do something for me and you're asking someone else to do that job," he said huskily on the phone.

His eyes accidentally met Cassandra in the hallway and his face immediately turned cold. He thought she wouldn't show up at work which was why he asked Noah to submit the files to him instead. Luckily, Noah had the photocopies of it.

"...yeah yeah. I'll call you back," Carl said and immediately ended his call. He was angry to see her and he just couldn't wait to fire Cassandra right away for coming two hours late to work.

"Miss Hills," Carl voiced out, walking towards her.

Anyone would've shivered at Carl's loud and harsh tone, especially Cassandra but this time, she didn't budge.

Carl and Cassandra were now a few inches apart from each other and Carl saw that Cassandra was crying profusely like a baby. Carl's anger immediately seized the moment he saw her crying and sniffing her nose.

"hum… are you okay?" He asked her in a calmer tone that sounded so concerned because he genuinely was.

"My… my… house caught fire… everything got burnt… I.. I've lost everything" Cassandra said in a broken tone, crying.

Carl sighed deeply. He felt terribly sorry for her and he guessed that was what must've made her come late to work. He already felt bad for wanting to fire this young lady when she was suffering right now. It would've made her go crazy.

"My neighbor's house caught fire due to carelessness and my house got burnt too... I am lucky to have survived the fire outbreak but all my properties were destroyed… I've lost everything" Cassandra cried like all hope was lost. She leaned closer to Carl and placed her head on his broad chest, crying her heart out.

Carl was shocked. He guessed that Cassandra probably wasn't thinking straight to have placed her head on his chest since she was carrying a heavy heart. Carl thought that she needed to be comforted so he gently patted her back so she could calm down.

"it's going to be fine don't worry" He kept on consoling her.

No matter how cold-hearted Carl tried to act, he remains one of the nicest men. He has already thought of giving her a new apartment and a good amount of cash to put a smile on her face.

Cassandra felt comforted by Carl's warm embrace. She wanted this warm feeling to last for a long time. She was enjoying Carl's manly scent and she wished in her heart that he wouldn't pull away from her soon. At this moment she wasn't seeing him as her boss as a matter of fact, she has forgotten that Carl was her boss.

Cassandra slowly raised her head from Carl's chest and locked eyes with him. She couldn't believe she was standing so close to the most handsome man she had ever met. It felt so unreal to her. Carl's face was alluring as usual and she had always been attracted by his handsomeness.

Her eyes met Carl's lips and goddamn! It'll take a woman with a lot of self-control not to steal a kiss from him. His lips were just too sexy and staring at those pink lips alone made Cassandra's heartbeat accelerate.

Cassandra couldn't control herself anymore and she quickly pulled Carl into a kiss.

Meanwhile, Anne who was walking towards Noah's office in the hallway was taken aback and she felt her heart tighten as soon as she saw Carl kissing another woman. Apparently, that was what it looked like.

Anne felt like she was about to explode. Her face was red with anger to have witnessed such. She was extremely jealous.