Sleeping With The CEO
Chapter 164: Ocean

Chapter 164: Ocean

Emily Molson was not one to run from anything. That much she knew about herself. It was a truth that she was sure of. She had faced down a mob of angry protesters. People who could have very easily killed her in the heat of the moment. But she had stood her ground in front of them, not trying to escape.

She even stood her ground against scumbags like Sebastian Haven on a regular basis. And in all of those times, Emily had never run. In fact, running had been the furthest thing from her mind. That was just what she did in situations that were scary. When push came to shove. Emily pushed back, kicked, and clawed too if she had to, in order to face a situation.

But in that moment, Emily did not feel anything at all like the fierce woman that she knew herself to be. Going over to Derek’s place was scary, not because she felt uncomfortable around him, or felt as though she were walking into some sort of trap where she would be attacked.

It was quite the opposite actually. After years of suffering and enduring, Emily was now headed towards something that could be useful. Something that could cure her. Something that could take away all of her sleeping problems. Something that could leave her as someone able to sleep through the night without a nightmare.

And Emily was terrified. She’d heard of people who went back to abusive relationships over and over again. And if they happened to find themselves in a relationship where things were going good, then they made sure to either mess it up, or to leave as quickly as possible.

Emily had often wondered why people like that did things that way. But now she understood it. The body was a strange thing. If pain and discomfort were applied consistently, at some point, people got used to being uncomfortable. And once the source of the discomfort was gone, adjusting was very, very difficult. And that was where most people failed.

Those who could not adjust, who could not accept that something had been wrong and that now it had been fixed, often suffered the most. Those were the people who often went back to abusive relationships. Those were the people who, after kicking one bad habit, often jumped into the next.

People who went from being overweight, lost the weight, and then found a new drug to fill them. Moving to alcohol or drugs, or some other toxic habit. Emily had seen that before, but she had never realized that it could apply to her, when it came to her sleeping problem.But now she realized that it very much did.

In sleeping with Derek, there was a huge chance that she would never have to worry about having nightmares again. And that scared her. She had been having nightmares for over half her life. Without them, who was she?

That was the question that had Emily clinging to the strap of her bag as she sat in the back of the car. The driver weaving them through traffic and getting her closer and closer to Derek’s penthouse. ’Go in there and find out.’ Some deep part of her whispered, and Emily clung to the quiet confidence in the voice. Yes, this was what this was all about. She was going to reclaim herself to find out who she could have been had things turned out differently, and she had lived a life where she did not suffer from nightmares.

Clinging to that thought, Emily stayed quiet, as she was taken to Derek’s place, glad that she had given directions beforehand.

When she finally reached the building and walked inside, Emily did not allow herself to stare. The place just screamed money, but she did not want to show that she was in awe. But that was thrown out the window, when she finally made it to Derek’s penthouse and he let her in.

It was rude to enter somebody’s house, and not say anything in greeting, but whatever Emily would have said died in her throat when she finally walked into the penthouse, and saw it properly. Leaving Derek at the door, she made her way inside, turning in a slow circle as she took everything in. Whenever she had imagined where Derek lived, she had always thought of him living in some place that looked a lot like his office at Haven Group.

A clean, sterile environment that did not induce thoughts of relaxation at all. But, walking into his penthouse, Emily was glad to be proven wrong. The first thing that hit her when she looked at the place was a colour... white.

That seemed to be the main theme of the place. But as she looked around some more, Emily realized that she was wrong. The theme was not white. The theme had something to do with the ocean. Calming, cool colors were everywhere. From the open floor kitchen to the living room.

Everything just gave off this feel of being at the beach. Even the paintings were those of the ocean at various points during the day. From sunset, to sunrise, and even late into the night with the moon shining down on calm waters.

The steps had a lining to them that was wood made to look like beach sand without all of the granulated particles. And the furniture, though mostly white, was decorated with blue cushions and artfully draped turquoise blankets. Even the rug which was normally square, was not. In Derek’s house, the rugs looked like two-dimensional waves in the way that they had been cut, exposing the gleaming wooden floors beneath. Taking in the decorations of the house, and knowing what she knew about Derek’s sleeping problems.

Emily felt her heart clench.

This was not just a place decorated for the sake of it. This was Derek’s way of trying to calm himself. Of trying to get some rest. He had created an environment that was supposed to be relaxing, trying in his own way, to deal with his problem. but it had not worked. And that made Emily sad, especially since she knew exactly how desperate he must have felt, given how she too had tried and failed to solve her own problems.

"I’m glad you came," His voice came from behind her and Emily turned to him.

"I am glad I came too," She said. And the two of them gave each other an understanding look.