by Linda Verji
“Greyson, wait!” She was right behind him. Panting, she called out, “Greyson, let me explain.”
He didn’t want to wait. He didn’t want to listen to her explanation. He didn’t want to have his suspicions confirmed because it would make this whole situation more painful. He yanked open the car door but before he could get into the driver’s seat, Snow grabbed his blue sweater then pulled him back. A second later, she locked her arms around his waist.
“Don’t go.” Her voice, breathless and panicked, vibrated over his back and her arms tightened around his waist. “It’s not what you think. I swear.”
He wanted to say that the problem wasn’t his thoughts. It was his vision. He’d seen what he’d seen and didn’t need an explanation to know what was going on.
“Let me explain,” she pleaded. “Please?”
Maybe it was that pleading. Maybe it was because part of him still wanted to believe that his eyes had been deceived. Maybe it was because of how tight she was holding onto him – like he was more than a rebound to her. But he found himself turning stiffly in her arms.
“It’s not what you think,” she repeated breathlessly once they were face to face.
He only stared at her, noting how troubled and disheveled she looked. A glance downwards revealed that she was barefoot. He supposed he should’ve been grateful that he was worth being chased in bare feet, but anger and disappointment were the only emotions he was capable of feeling right now.
A few of Snow’s neighbors were already out and about. They stood to stare at the fighting couple. Ignoring them, Snow gripped the sides of Greyson’s sweater as if to hold him hostage as she explained, “Charlie just slept here. Nothing else happened. I promise.”
The pleading look in her eyes swore her innocence, and he wanted to believe her. He really did. But several questions pulsed through him. If nothing had happened, why was Charlie in his underwear? What kind of woman allowed a man she had nothing to do with to walk around bare-assed in her house? Why was Charlie even sleeping in her house?
He didn’t ask any of those questions, just stared at her.
But Snow seemed be able to read minds because she answered those unasked questions anyway. “I found him here when I came from work yesterday and he was drunk. He was causing a commotion and letting him into my apartment was the only way to quiet him. He slept on the couch. I swear.”
The knot in his stomach eased slightly at her explanation, and he finally found his voice. “If he was causing a commotion, why didn’t you call the police – or me?”
“I – I didn’t-” She stumbled over her words as if trying to figure out a reason why she hadn’t done the obvious, but before she could find one, they were interrupted.
“Snow,” Charlie called out.
Both Greyson and Snow turned their heads toward the now fully clothed Charlie. The moment Snow saw him, panic streaked through her features and she jumped back from Greyson like she’d touched hot coal.
Anger clouding his face, Charlie strode towards them. “Is this him? Is this the guy you’re dating?”
The guy looked like he wanted to cause major trouble.
Please cause trouble, Greyson mentally dared the other man as he stood up straighter and steeled himself. Oh, how he wanted the smug bastard to cause trouble. It would give him the excuse he needed to punch the living lights out of him.
Snow’s anxious gaze faltered between Greyson and Charlie before she said, “No, it’s not.”
It wasn’t the answer Greyson was expecting and immediate surprise bolted through him. Why was she lying?
“Then why were you hugging him?” Charlie’s eyes remained trained on Greyson as he closed the distance between them. Those eyes screamed murder. However, before he could reach Greyson, Snow stepped forward, blocking his path.
“Go back to the house. I’ll come and talk to you once I’m done,” she told her ex.
But Charlie was a man on a mission. “Is he the one?”
“I told you no,” she insisted. Her easy denial of their relationship cut a painful swath through Greyson. He didn’t expect much from this situation, but the least she could’ve done was admit that he was more than some random guy who’d interrupted their love-fest. He felt deflated and all the fight went out of him. Without a word to the two lovebirds, Greyson entered his car.
“Hey. Where you going?” Charlie exclaimed, yanking Snow’s attention to Greyson. “Hey.”
She turned to face the car. “Greyson, wait.”
For what? Greyson started the car. Their calls for him not to leave did nothing to change his mind. He was done with this show. His jaw locked tight, he backed the car out of the parking lot and left.
* * * * *
THIS WAS A disaster! Snow cupped her hands over her mouth as she watched Greyson drive off in a huff. Tears sprung to her eyes and distress circled her nerves. She didn’t blame him for misunderstanding the situation – anyone would’ve. She just wished that he’d given her more of a chance to explain herself.
The only way things would’ve turned out worse was for him and Charlie to start fighting. She’d tried to prevent that by pretending that there was nothing between her and Greyson so Charlie wouldn’t come after him. But it seemed she’d only made things worse because Greyson had left thinking that she’d reverted to her usual pattern and was back with Charlie.
“That’s right, you little pussy.” Charlie jeered at Greyson’s retreating car. “Leave!”
“Shut up!” Snow yelled. This was all his fault. She spun to face him with blazing eyes. “Shut up!”
Surprised by her outburst, Charlie took step back. “Hey, why are you mad at me?”
Like he didn’t know!
“Just shut up!” A lump in her throat, she turned on her heels and started towards the house.
“Snow,” Charlie chased after her. Now that Greyson was gone, he seemed calmer as he asked, “Are you sure you’re not dating that guy?”
Silent, Snow stormed into the house and directly to her bedroom. She slammed the door behind her.
“Hey, you could’ve hit me with that!” His outraged voice rang through the wood. A second later, he opened the door and entered her room.
She could’ve thrown the lamp at him, hit him with a couple of shoes, done something worse – but all she could think of was catching up with Greyson and clearing up the misunderstanding. Her eyes itched with the urge to cry as thoughts of him not believing her crossed her mind. No, she had to make him believe her. He was the best thing that had happened to her in a long time and she couldn’t lose him.
As if he couldn’t see that she was ignoring him, Charlie settled on the edge of her bed. He commented, “That guy seemed familiar. Where have I seen him before?”
Without answering him, she grabbed her phone, lotion, makeup and other toiletries then entered the bathroom. This time she locked her door to make sure he wouldn’t come in. While in the bathroom, she called a cab then finished dressing. When she came out of the bathroom, Charlie was lying on her bed comfortable as he pleased.
“I just remembered who that guy is.” Charlie turned to lie his side and propped his head on his raised arm. “He’s that Teller guy, isn’t he? Your boss.”
Snow crossed the room to her closet and bent to pull out a pair of canvas sneakers.
“What was he doing here so early in the morning?” Charlie asked. “Does he usually just drop by?”
She shot him a glare sharp enough to cut steel. Why he thought he deserved any answers was beyond her. Thankfully, his questions were cut short by the arrival of her cab.
“Get out.” She grabbed the duffel bag he’d left at her house last time and tossed at his feet. “My cab is here.”
Charlie sat up on the bed. “We’re not done with our conversation.”
“I’m done.” She gritted through her teeth. “I’m done completely. Listen to me and listen to me well. The next time I see you anywhere near this complex. I’m calling the police. I let
you off last night because I didn’t want to deal with the police, but it’s obvious to me now that dealing with them is a more productive use of my time than dealing with you.”
Charlie let out a disbelieving laugh. “You won’t go to the police.”
She didn’t blame him for not believing her. After all, she’d made so many empty threats in the course of their relationship that he’d gotten used to doing whatever he wanted without any consequences. But this time she was serious. Without a word to him, she carried his bag out of the bedroom and out of her apartment. Leaving the bag lying at the doorstep, she headed towards the complex’ gates. When she came back several minutes later it was with the security guard.
“That’s him, Steve.” She pointed out Charlie to the burly, tanned, tanned guard. “Please get him out.”
“What? Are you serious?” Charlie blustered as he stood.
“Sir, please leave or I will remove you.” Steve’s hand tightened over the butt of his taser threateningly.
“You’re joking, right? Snow-” Charlie started forward towards her but Steve cut in front of him. Real fear flashed in Charlie’s eyes and he took a quick step back. A forced smile on his face, he started, “My man, we don’t need to do this. My girl and I are just-”
“Sir!” the guard cut in harshly. “Leave or I will remove you.”
Charlie shot Snow a panicked glance. “Tell him I’m your man.”
Snow turned to Steve. “I’ve tried getting him to leave since yesterday, and he won’t go.”
“Don’t worry, ma’am. I’ll get rid of him.” The guard’s already forbidding features turned grimmer as he took a threatening step towards Charlie.
“Okay. Okay. I’m going.” Charlie skirted to the right then brushed past Steve and Snow to make a hasty exit out of the bedroom.
“And don’t come back,” Snow called out after him. Moments later, she heard a car start. Charlie was gone. Sighing in relief she turned to the guard. “Thank you.”
“Any time.” Steve asked. “Will he be trouble?”
“Probably.” She sighed. “I’d appreciate it if you guys didn’t let him through the gates.”
“Sure. I’ll talk to the other guards and let him know.” He advised, “You should consider taking more drastic actions though – like a restraining order. I’ve seen guys like him before. They don’t get the message until you get the law involved.”
A restraining order seemed like overkill. Charlie was a nuisance not a danger. But Snow nodded anyway. “I’ll think about it.”
A few minutes later, she got into the cab and headed to work. The closer she got to Tellers, the more butterflies fluttered in her belly. How would she explain herself to Greyson? Would he understand? God, she hoped so.
Fortunately, Greyson was cloistered in his office. She knocked lightly on the door and. At his order to come in, she pushed her way into the room and closed the door after her. His face was its usual mask of indifference, but the moment he saw her annoyance flashed in his blue eyes. He quickly extinguished that anger to give her a cold. “Yes?”
“Can we talk for a minute?” she asked. He looked like he was about to refuse so she capped the question with a plea. “Please, Greyson.”
He sighed. “What is it, Snow?”
She crossed the room to take the seat directly opposite him. “About this morning…”
Fresh anger sparked in his eyes but he didn’t say anything.
“… Nothing really happened.” She leaned forward as she explained, “Like I said, I found him at my doorstep yesterday, drunk. He refused to go home and fell asleep on my couch. Nothing else happened.”
Greyson’s gaze smoldered with several questions, but instead of asking them he said, “Okay.”
That ‘okay’ was the type of ‘okay’ people gave when things really weren’t ‘okay’. Aching for him to believe her, Snow continued, “You asked me why I didn’t call the police when he started causing trouble. It’s because I’ve called them before, but it was so much of a hustle afterwards that I didn’t want to do it unless it’s completely necessary.”
“What counts as necessary?” Greyson finally checked into the conversation. A frown knotting his brow, he continued, “You were in an apartment alone, the whole night, with a belligerent man who refused to leave. Doesn’t that count as necessary? What if he’d done something to you?”
When he put it like that, it really sounded like not calling the police was an idiotic move on her part, but he didn’t know Charlie as well as she did. She said, “Charlie isn’t dangerous. He wouldn’t have done anything to me.”
“You can never know someone completely no matter how close you are to them. Also people change after breakups. The Charlie you thought you knew could turn into a serial killer because you dumped him.” Greyson went on determinedly, “You should’ve called the police. Or one of your neighbors. Or the security guards. Or me.”
Her gaze lowered to her hands folded on her lap, she said timidly, “It was almost midnight so I didn’t want to bother anyone.”
“The fact that it was midnight was more of a reason for you to get him out of there, not less.” He paused and narrowed his eyes. “Or maybe you didn’t want to.”
She reared backwards. “What does that mean?”
He opened his mouth as if to explain himself then shook his head. “Nothing. In any case next time something like this happens, make sure you get help.”
But she was still stuck on his previous words. She insisted, “It’s not nothing. What do you mean – ‘or maybe you didn’t want to’. Do you think I didn’t kick Charlie out because I want to get back together with him?”
Greyson arched his eyebrows. “Don’t you?”
“No, I don’t.” Her voice rose with her protest. Why would he think that? She’d never… Ooh! Her eyes flew to meet his. “Is this because I told him it wasn’t you I was dating?”
Greyson didn’t say anything the answer was clear in his eyes.
“The only reason I did that was so Charlie wouldn’t attack you,” she explained. “I was protecting you.”
“Why would I need protecting?” Greyson folded his arms over her chest and eyed her. “I thought you said Charlie wasn’t dangerous.”
He got her there! She couldn’t counter his argument without sounding stupid so she said, “I don’t want to get back together with Charlie. I’m done with him.”
A dubious look flitted through Greyson’s gaze, but he said, “Okay.”
“You don’t believe me.” Desperation lancing through her, she asked, “How can I convince you?”
“You don’t have to convince me of anything.” His voice was much cooler now and all the anger was gone from his eyes. “It’s not like we’re a couple and we’ve never talked about being exclusive. Whoever you choose to let sleep in your house is your business.”
His words, and the lack of anger as he said them, should’ve eased her mind. Instead, they sent panic rushing through. It felt like he was putting distance between them, like he was preparing to exit. But she didn’t want that. She wanted them to get closer, be a couple, be exclusive. He made her happy, and she didn’t want to lose that. She couldn’t.
But she didn’t get a chance to express that because a sharp knock cut into their conversation and the door flew open.
“Chef.” April peeked into the room. “The couple that I was telling you about are here to discuss the menu for their reception.”
“Okay.” Greyson gave her a curt nod. “Give me a minute and I’ll be with you.” Once April was gone, he turned to Snow. “You should be there for the meeting too. You tend to get along with the brides better.”
There he was, back to being professional Greyson.
“What about what we were talking about?” she asked.
“Is there something more to discuss?” He stood and walked towards the coat stand to get his jacket. “You’ve explained what happened, and I’ve understood it.”
She’d never hated his
professional mask more than she did now. He was acting like he’d already erased what had happened today, when it felt like he really hadn’t. It felt like they should be fighting but weren’t fighting. Strange, wasn’t it? She’d never been in a situation where she actually wanted to fight with someone.
Greyson strode towards the door. “Are you coming?”
Frustration biting at her, Snow observed him for a long moment before she too stood up. “Yes, Chef.”
CHAPTER 16
Greyson was cold to her the whole day. Sure, he was as professional as always, but there was a little something extra in his indifferent treatment of her. And it left her feeling more than a bit unsettled. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like he wanted to discuss their issues further. So she focused on solving her other problem – Charlie and his surprise knowledge of her business. Was he spying on her?
“Did you guys tell Charlie about Greyson and I,” she asked Vina and April when they met at their usual spot.
“Of course not,” Vina protested vehemently.
“Why would you think that?” April asked.
“The only people who know that I’m dating again are the three of us and Greyson.” Snow’s gaze switched between her friends. “I know I didn’t tell him, and Greyson certainly wouldn’t tell him so…”
“So you think it’s either me or April?” Vina asked. When Snow nodded, Vina pointedly stared at April. “Well, it’s not me.”
“Don’t look at me like that,” April protested, hurt crossing her features. “It’s not me.”
Snow was just as suspicious of April as Vina was. Despite April’s recent change in attitude, she’d always been a card carrying member of Club Charlie. Also everyone knew how much of a romantic she was and how loyal she was to things she liked even when they weren’t good for her, like Roman. She wasn’t beyond attempting to get Snow and Charlie back together – she’d certainly done it before.
“Are you sure you didn’t tell him?” Snow asked.