Sleeping With The CEO
Chapter 115: Hardest Words

Chapter 115: Hardest Words

To some people apologies were easy, they came so readily that they just opened their mouths and said "I am sorry," To the person that they had wronged. Unfortunately for him. Derek was not one of those people to whom apologizing came easy.

It had a lot to do with his upbringing. If you could not throw money at it to fix it. Then it was not worth the energy needed to open your mouth and apologize. That had been how he had been raised, and Derek had never seen it as a failure. Afterall showing that you were feeling sorry. That you had even the slightest bit of guilt, could easily be turned into something that was lifelong servitude. He had watched his uncle do that several times to different people over the years. You gave him an inch, he took the whole arm. Being apologetic, genuinely apologetic, was not a good thing in that world.

But now Derek had met somebody who he had truly wronged, and he wanted to apologize but he was finding it difficult to do. He had walked into the diner with the full intent of apologizing to Emily once and for all. Rectifying the error that he had made.

That feeling had lasted until he had walked into the diner, and Emily had given him a look like she wanted to scoop him into her arms, hug him and never let him go. Something inside of Derek had melted at that look, and rather than just coming right out and telling her that he was sorry, he had just followed where she led.

He had allowed himself to be led to a table, and then she had given him the menu. Derek had stared at it, not knowing what to order. Normally Emily, would take pity on him and order for him and that night was no different. Seeing him looking lost, she had stepped in. But what was different, was that Derek did not like the tea that she had suggested at all.

It had an awful after taste that made Derek want to gag. But Emily had brought him the tea, so rather that put the cup aside, he forced it down. Not stopping like he usually did, but downing it in one go. The process making him feel like he was about to throw up.

By focusing all of his attention on finishing a tea that he was not too keen on, Derek had ended up neglecting the two muffins that Emily had also brought along and when she had come to collect his plate, he had been about to just let her take everything. But then he had seen her crushed look at the sight of the bread still being there. He had spoken up before he could contain himself.

"I would love to finish these now. But I have something to do that requires my urgent attention. Can you make them to go, so that I can enjoy them early in the morning at work?" He had no idea what had possessed him to say that. But seeing Emily’s face light up, had been more than enough for him to be happy with his choice.

She had deposited the muffins into a brown paper bag. And given it to him. Derek had accepted the muffins as though they were some of the most precious things he had ever held. And in a way they were, Emily had given them to him after all. During the drive back to the penthouse Derek had kept the muffins on the passenger seat, the seatbelt over them like he was carrying precious cargo. Every once in a while, he had glanced over at them needing to remind himself that they were actually there.

Now he was back at the penthouse, seated in his kitchen, staring at the brown paper bag that housed the baked goods.

The paper bag was so out of place in the kitchen that it was not even funny. He had teaspoons that were worth way more than the bag and its contents combined. He could throw the bag, contents and all, in the trash and it would not even set him back a tenth of what the cheapest of object in his kitchen was worth. But just thinking of doing such an awful thing had Derek breaking out in a cold sweat.

Emily had given him these muffins, he would never take her kindness for granted.

The strange tea had left him feeling a bit delicate. He did not feel like he could stomach anything at the moment. But he also did not want to put the muffins away for later. He wanted to have them then and there. But in eating them while he was still not feeling too good, there was a huge chance that he would trigger an illness. A stomach ailment was the last thing that he needed.

But the muffins were calling to him.

To eat or not to eat, that was what one of the greatest minds in business was thinking at half past four o’clock in the morning.

On a daily basis Derek made decisions that put millions of Dollars at risk. And he never hesitated to make them. But right now, he was struggling with something so simple even a fifth grader could handle it.

To eat the muffins, or to not eat the muffins...

To eat the muffins, or to not eat the muffins...

He reached for the bag, uneasy stomach or not, he was going to eat them. Emily had given them to him for that purpose after all. The paper crinkled under his touch, Derek let go.

No, if he ate them while not feeling too good, it would be a waste since he was likely to throw them back up.

Derek reach for, and then released the bag a few more times before he finally let go. No matter how bad he felt or how grateful he was that Emily was still talking to him at all. Forcing himself to eat the muffins when he did not feel good would not lead to anything worthwhile. It was best to wait, and that was exactly what Derek decided to do. In the end he put the muffins away still in that paper bag, and made his way upstairs to his bedroom.

He did not sleep, but once on the bed he closed his eyes and just allowed his mind to wander, sticking to thoughts that made him feel good, and relaxed not wanting to rile himself up. When it finally came time for him to get up and get ready for work, he rose, had another shower, and headed downstairs. This time the thought of eating did not make him feel really ill. So he figured that whatever it was with the tea that had not agreed with him it was completely out of his system now. Grabbing the muffins , Derek took a bite and sat down, thinking. He had to apologize to Emily.

No more excuses.

The next time he would not back down for real. He would really do it. He would say he was sorry to Emily.