He Looked Back

by Hollandaise, Melissa

  Or:

  Morris has toilet paper stuck to his shoe, look quick!

  I manage to stifle laughs, focusing on my editing. Oliver, however, gets annoyed with his constant note-passing.

  “Cut it out, mate,” he snaps at Dylan as yet another folded paper whizzes my way.

  “Cut what out?”

  “Throwing shit.”

  “Ew, why would I throw shit? I’m throwing paper, Roberts, don’t be vulgar.”Oliver rolls his eyes and I giggle quietly.

  “You think this is funny?” He asks me, humor in his dark brown eyes.

  “Very much,” I answer, circling an error on my paper.

  Dylan drags me onto the roof for lunch, pulling me by the arm out onto the Window of Death, as I have named it. I’m still wary of the fifteen stories below us, and am quick to rush off it once lunch hour comes to a close.

  At around three o’clock, my work phone rings.

  “Hello?” I answer it.

  “Miss Harris, Mr. Crane has requested to see you,” Caitlin says on the other end.

  “Now?”

  “I believe so.”

  “Alright, thank you.”

  I hang up and stand, stretching slightly.

  “Where are you going?” Dylan asks me.

  “Crane wants to see me.”

  Dylan furrows his brow and I shrug, turning and walking out of the complex.

  My pumps click on the marble floors as I take the elevator to Crane’s floor.

  I nod to the receptionist as I enter his office, shutting the door behind me. The receptionist is not the same one as before, and I swear I have seen her somewhere, but I just can’t put my finger on it.

  “Miss Harris, nice to see you,” Crane greets me. “Have a seat.”I sit carefully. “You wanted to see me?”

  “Yes, I did.” He leans forward on his desk, folding his hands. “I have thought about what you, Wilson and Roberts told me about Lyone very hard these past few days.”I swallow, nodding slowly.

  “It has come to my attention,” Mr. Crane continues. “That there is a party in my favor this weekend, and you will be attending.”I nod. “Yes, I will.”

  “I’d like to know what exactly you and this alliance are planning,” he finishes.

  I purse my lips. “With all due respect, sir, but how can I know that I can trust you?”“I am helping you, aren’t I?”

  I nod. “But...I don’t think this is a safe place to discuss this.”“Why do you say that?”

  The door to Crane’s office suddenly opens, and the receptionist walks in, a slip of paper in hand.

  “Message for you, Mr. Crane.”

  Her voice is as smooth as velvet and the nagging sense at the back of my mind telling me I’ve seen her somewhere intensifies.

  “Thank you, Abigail.”

  My blood runs cold and I widen my eyes as she turns and smiles slightly at me. Soft blonde waves tumble over her shoulders and her blue eyes match the ocean. That’s why I thought I had seen her before, because she is none other than the girl Dylan was once in love with.

  "Katie, this is Abigail, my new receptionist," Mr. Crane says.

  "It's so nice to meet you, Katie," Abigail says, her smooth voice almost taunting.

  And I can’t help but think as she slowly half smiles at me, that she knows exactly who I am.

  Chapter Sixty Seven

  I can’t seem to form words as I stare at Abigail, her red lips settling into a smirk.

  I finally swallow and nod, trying my best to smile. “H-hi,” I stammer.

  Her smirk widens as she walks past me, out of the office.

  “Now, where were we?” Mr. Crane asks.

  I stare after Abigail, completely befuddled by her sudden appearance.

  “Katie?”

  I shake my head. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s quite alright, you seem distracted. I must attend to this message anyhow, we can continue out conversation another time.”He has no idea how thankful I am for that. I need to speak to Dylan, and soon.

  “Thank you,” I say. “Just let me know.”

  He nods and smiles and I exit the office, eyes sweeping the complex for Abigail, but she is nowhere to be seen.

  I need to get to Dylan, quick. I’ve learned my lesson about not telling Dylan things, and this is one damn important thing.

  As I’m racing down the stairs to get back to our floor, someone grabs my wrist and jerks me to a halt.

  “Going somewhere?”

  I pull my wrist from Abigail’s grasp as her lips stretch into a smile.

  “I...just back to work.”

  “In such a hurry?”

  I swallow, my heart pumping fast from rushing down the stairs and Abigail’s tantalizing stare.

  I look Abigail over.

  She stands with her arms crossed over her chest, her blonde wavy hair tumbling down her back. If the Internet was correct, she’s been to rehab and back. What is she possibly doing in Edinburgh?

  “You know who I am, don’t you,” she says.

  I nod slowly.

  She sighs. “Alright, if you’ve got a pen, I’ll sign something for you, even though my agent told me to steer clear of fans.”I stare at her.

  She looks at me expectantly.

  “Wait...you think I’m a fan?” I suddenly remember she was on a daytime soap opera. I almost laugh.

  “How else would you know me?” She chuckles dryly.

  “I know you as the girl that broke Dylan’s heart,” I say without meaning to.

  Her eyes snap to me. “Excuse me?”

  I take a step back. “Dylan Wilson,” I say. “He was in love with you and you left him.”“Of course I know who you’re talking about,” she snaps.

  “Well, you weren’t acting like it.” I cross my arms over my chest, mirroring her stance. “And if you’ve come here to try to entice him again, you’re going to have to go through me.”Abigail stares at me.

  And then she bursts into laughter.

  I furrow my brow, watching her as her velvety laugh rings through the empty stairwell.

  “Something funny?” I ask, my cheeks flushing pink.

  “I didn’t come here to get Dylan back, if that’s what you’re implying,” she says, her laughter dying down.

  “Then why are you here?”

  “I just got out of rehab for being a goddamn alcoholic, and my agent is forcing me to get a mainstream, boring job,” she says resentfully. “So, naturally, I come back to Crane.”“Come back?”

  “Oh, but didn’t Dylan tell you?” She smiles sarcastically. “Crane was my step father for about two years, before my mother got divorced again.”“How many husbands has she had?”

  “Seven, but that’s not important,” she says lightly and I widen my eyes at the high number. “Crane gave me a job until I can stay sober long enough to return to the show, and until then some other actress way less pretty than me is taking my place.” She sniffs haughtily.

  A thought occurs to me.

  Abigail could be the insider for Lyone.

  “How did you know Dylan told me about you?” I ask.

  “Since you’re obviously his little girlfriend now, he must have told you,” she says arrogantly. “I mean, I was his first love.”“What do you want from me?” I ask.

  “What makes you think I want something?”

  “Because you followed me here.”

  Abigail tilts her head. “True.”

  I look at her expectantly. “Well?”

  “I’m here to help you, actually.”

  I furrow my brow.

  “I know your involvement with code Ivory,” she says. “And I want to be part of the rebellion.”I stare at her. “You’re part of Lyone?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. I’m the one that sent Alec to find Dylan at that party after I left, so Dylan could start making some damn money for once. I realize my mistake now, and you could say I’m in the same position as you.”“How do I know you’re not the insider?”

&
nbsp; She runs her tongue over her teeth. “So, you know about the insider too.”“How do you know all this?”

  “I’ve been in Edinburgh for a month now, and I’ve attended meetings at Lyone. It’s obvious that someone has been listening in here, but I can assure you, it’s not me.”“If you’ve been in Edinburgh for a month, how come there was a different secretary here only a few weeks ago?”“Crane has two secretaries, and we have different days that we work.”“How do I know I can trust you?”

  “Why don’t we just ask Dylan?”

  I lock my jaw.

  She stares at me, her ocean blue eyes challenging.

  “Fine,” I say at last. “Why don’t we ask Dylan.”

  She smirks at me as I text Dylan to meet me in the stairwell as soon as possible.

  Minutes later, we hear footsteps and Dylan climbs up to the landing.

  As soon as his gaze lands on Abigail, his eyes widen and his skin pales.

  Abigail smirks.

  I see memories flashing before his eyes and it hurts. I know Abigail will always be with Dylan in some way, I mean, as she said, she was his first love. He will always be wary of love because of her, and she will always have control over him. I see this now as I helplessly look on as he utters her name in disbelief.

  “Nice to see you’re doing well, Dylan,” she says to him.

  “What are you doing here?” He asks.

  Abigail explains to him what she did to me, and I watch Dylan’s expression carefully.

  Next to Abigail, I feel like nothing. She’s so beautiful, and I know without a doubt I look like a lump of coal next to her shimmering blue eyes and golden blonde hair.

  If Dylan ever chooses her over me, I can’t say I blame him.

  “I’m on your side,” Abigail finishes. “But your girlfriend here doesn’t want to trust me.”Dylan looks to me and I turn my gaze to the floor, my cheeks burning.

  “I can’t say I blame my girlfriend here,” Dylan replies and I look back at him, and I see it.

  Dylan would never go back to Abigail. Behind her beauty, she is damaged with alcoholism and bad commitment; with breaking hearts and smiling widely for flashing cameras that have done nothing but destroy her. Dylan loves me, he does—and I’d be a fool to ever doubt that.

  Abigail rolls her eyes. “I can help you, you know. Lyone still trusts me, unlike you.”Dylan looks back at Abigail. “It’s been a while since I’ve trusted you, Abigail, you’re going to have to prove yourself.”She locks her jaw. “Fine,” she says. “I will.” She turns on her heel and begins walking away. “Oh, and if you need me, I’ll be in Crane’s complex,” she says over her shoulder as she climbs the stairs.

  Her high heels echo through the stairwell and Dylan and I are left alone.

  I look back at the floor.

  I feel Dylan’s soft fingertips tilt my chin up to look at him.

  “Are you alright?” He asks.

  I nod.

  “You don’t seem alright.”

  I shrug, stepping away from his touch. “Abigail puts me on edge.”“She puts everyone on edge, that’s just how she is.” Dylan pauses. “I have no fucking idea how to react to this, to be honest.”“I was thinking the same thing,” I say.

  Dylan sighs, sticking his hands into his pockets. He suddenly looks back at me. “Alright,” he says, shaking his head. “I know what’s wrong.”I furrow my brow. “What?”

  “You think I’m still in love with Abigail.”

  I shake my head. “No, I don’t.”

  “I don’t love her anymore, Katie. I love you, only you.”

  “I know.” I smile at him as he takes my hand in his, bringing it to his soft lips.

  “Abigail has nothing on you,” he says in my ear as he tugs my body toward his.

  I snort. “Please, she has everything on me.”

  Dylan looks at me, almost confusedly. “You’re kidding, right?”“No, why would I be kidding?”

  “Don’t be insecure, you don’t have a reason to be. Abigail is my past, but I can tell you that you are my present and my future, and that’s how it will always be.”He says it with such confidence and assurance that I break into a smile, wrapping my arms around him tightly. He presses his lips to my hair softly, his chin resting on the top of my head.

  We finally pull away and return to our floor to finish up the work day. The whole Abigail affair has tired me out and I would want nothing more than to take the rest of the day off, but I have missed enough already with my sickness and when I flew to London. I’ve always been one to have good attendance, anyway.

  I focus back on my manuscript once back at my desk, nodding to Oliver who lifts his hand in a small wave.

  Dylan plops back into his seat, sighing. “What a lovely industrial office view,” he says, leaning back and resting his hands behind his head. “I just love to stare at a grey wall all day.”I stifle a laugh and he catches it, and his humor is fueled.

  “Shut up, Dylan,” Oliver says and I laugh, high fiving him across the table.

  The rest of the day passes smoothly and soon Dylan and I are walking back out to my car.

  “Can I drive?” Dylan asks almost eagerly.

  “What? No way.”

  “Come on, I’ve never driven an Audi before.”

  “Sucks,” I say, unlocking the car.

  “Please please please.”

  I groan. “You’re such a child.”

  He grins widely and I toss him the keys, switching sides with him.

  “Whoa, you’ve got some great acceleration on this baby,” Dylan says as we drive along. He zooms ahead, maneuvering the car expertly.

  “Slow down, I don’t want to get a ticket,” I reprimand him.

  “You won’t get a ticket.”

  “If I do, you’re paying.”

  Dylan rolls his eyes. “You’re paying,” he mimics and I smack him on the arm.

  We eat dinner with Leah at Dylan’s place, Dylan going on and on about how I’m never going to let him drive my car again. Leah laughs lightly, obviously happy to see her brother not completely hating her guts at the moment.

  It doesn’t last long, however.

  Dylan puts down his fork half way through dinner and looks at Leah. “How long do you plan on staying here?” He asks her.