Next to Never: Shattered Innocence Trilogy

by Long, A. L.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Dylan woke up the next morning only to find the space beside her once again cold and empty. Opening her eyes, she saw Rade left his trademark on the pillow he just recently occupied. Rolling on her side, she picked up the note.

  Sweetness,

  You looked so peaceful sleeping that I didn’t have the heart to wake you. I had an early meeting this morning. There should be a fresh pot of coffee brewing by the time you wake up.

  Last night was amazing. Please don’t forget what I said.

  Missing you,

  R

  After reading the note, Dylan was more confused about her feelings for Rade. He could be so thoughtful one minute and in the next, he did things totally opposite. With him she didn’t know which side of him she would be dealing with. Stretching her legs, she climbed out of bed and headed for the pot of coffee waiting for her in the kitchen. While Dylan was drinking her coffee, she went over the events from yesterday. The gossip at the spa, Rade’s impulsive behavior, meeting Evan for dinner. “Oh God, I have to get in touch with Evan and let him know that I can’t meet him.” Dylan was talking to herself, stressing about having to break their date. It was then that she realized she didn’t know his number or which apartment was actually his. She needed to contact Ernie and see if he could give her Evan’s apartment number. She wanted to break off their date in person.

  Once Dylan was ready for work, she called down to the security desk. Ernie answered the phone on the second ring. “Parkview Heights, Ernie speaking.”

  Dylan took in a deep breath. “Ernie, hi, it’s Dylan Adams. I need a favor.”

  There was a slight pause before Ernie responded. “What can I do for you, Ms. Adams?”

  Dylan put on the most desperate voice she could come up with. “I need to get in touch with Evan... Um… I don’t even know his last name, but I know he lives on my floor. Can you give me his apartment number?”

  Ernie was a little hesitant at first, but because he felt he knew Dylan and she was no threat to anyone, he decided to let her have it. While Dylan waited for Ernie to find Evan’s apartment, she tried to make small talk by asking him how long he had been a security guard, if he had any family, so on and so forth.

  “Got it, Ms. Adams, Mr. Taylor lives in apartment 1040.”

  Dylan was elated with gratitude. “Thank you so much, Ernie. I really owe you one.”

  “Not necessary, Ms. Adams. Glad I could help.”

  Dylan decided to stop by Evan’s apartment before she headed to work. Walking up to his door, she knocked lightly. With no response, she knocked again, but this time a little harder. When there was still no answer, she moved away from his door and proceeded to the elevator. Dylan thought about leaving Evan a note, but she wasn’t sure if he would come back to his apartment before their date. She decided her best plan would be to visit Riley’s on her lunch break and let him know in person that she wouldn’t be able to make their date.

  Dylan got to the office in record time with the help of Peter’s driving ability. He weaved in and out of the heavy traffic with ease; he didn’t even blink when a black SUV cut him off as he was getting ready to make a turn.

  Much to Dylan’s surprise, Bianca wasn’t sitting at her desk when she arrived. There must be a God, because she prayed on the ride up that she wouldn’t have to deal with Hot Lips first thing in the morning. Just as she rounded the reception desk, she heard the clacking of heels on the marble floor. Dylan turned her head to see who was coming. Faced with the ugliest shade of purple lipstick to match her purple dress, was Bianca.

  “Hope you had a nice day off yesterday, while the rest of us had to work the whole day.” Bianca snickered as she took her seat behind her desk.

  Dylan clutched her small hands into tight fists. This spoiled rotten girl just said the wrong thing. “Look Bianca, I don’t know what your problem is, but whether or not I decide to take half a day off is not your concern. I would appreciate it if you kept your sarcasm to yourself.”

  Bianca crossed her arms in a matter-of-fact way while staring with searing eyes at Dylan. “Maybe you should’ve taken today off too, because you definitely got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.”

  Dylan wasn’t going to have her day ruined by cocky comments from someone she wouldn’t give two cents to. Pulling herself from this pointless conversation, Dylan shifted her feet in the direction of her office, trying to brush off Bianca’s rudeness. “How did this poor excuse for a replacement even get hired? They must have been really desperate in hiring Bianca, because she is positively not meant to be in her current position. She would have been better working in the Mailroom where she wouldn’t have interaction with people.”

  Reaching her office, Dylan noticed her desk was covered with numerous files. She knew she would regret taking the day off after her spa treatment, but she had no idea she would be faced with so much work this morning. Settling down behind her desk, she decided to get started.

  Dylan wasn’t even halfway through all the files by the time noon rolled around. She needed a break. She’d been looking at figures all morning and the numbers were starting to run together. Grabbing her light jacket, she thought this would be the perfect time to clear her head. Just as she left the building, she noticed Peter waiting for her at the curb. It amazed her how he was always waiting for her. It didn’t matter where she was.

  Letting him know she didn’t need a lift, she began walking down the street towards Riley’s. Riley’s was a fair distance from her office, but since it was such a nice day, she thought it would be nice to take a walk. It would give her time to figure out what to say to Evan regarding canceling their date.

  Riley’s was a nice enough place. Most bars Dylan had been to usually smelled like sweat and stale beer. Riley’s was more upscale. The inside wasn’t overly decorated with beer and whiskey paraphernalia or the standard pennant strings advertising choice adult beverages. The place looked recently remodeled with a modern granite bar and wood flooring. The stools surrounding the bar were also very modern. Glass partitions separated the bar area from the dining area which made the whole place quite appealing.

  Dylan was greeted by a younger hostess who wore a white shirt, a black pencil skirt, and a green scarf nicely displayed around her neck. Dylan waited while the young girl called Evan to the front. Dylan assumed he must have been somewhere inside since she didn’t spot him when she entered. It didn’t take long for Evan to appear.

  “Dylan, what a nice surprise.” Evan gently placed his hands on her arms and lightly kissed her cheek. A little surprised, but not offended by Evan’s affection, Dylan flashed a quick smile at him.

  “Your place is nothing like what I expected,” Dylan said as she shot Evan a quick smile.

  Evan took her hand and led her toward his office. “A lot of people say that when they enter. When I first took over, it was pretty run down. I wanted to change the look so it would draw in more people.”

  Taking in the rest of the establishment, Dylan expressed her opinion. “Well, you certainly did a wonderful job.”

  Evan escorted Dylan to the back of the bar. Dylan noticed several doors. One leading to the kitchen, another to the restrooms, and the last to what appeared to be an office. Evan took a right turn and entered the office. Once inside, he motioned for Dylan to take a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

  “Can I get you anything?” Evan asked as he reached for the receiver to his desk phone.

  Dylan just nodded. “I’m fine. Thank you.”

  Looking at Dylan, he was trying to figure out why she came to see him, but before he could ask she began speaking. “Evan, I wanted to see you in person. I wanted to let you know that I have to break our date tonight. Something has come up.”

  Knowing she wasn’t exactly honest with Evan, she couldn’t tell him the real reason she had to break their date.

  Evan circled his desk and sat in the chair next to her. Taking her hand in his he asked, “I hop
e everything is okay.”

  Dylan watched as he softly rubbed his thumb back and forth across the backside of her hand. “Everything is fine.” Pulling her hand from his, Dylan stood up. “I really need to get back to work. I just wanted to let you know I wouldn’t be able to make it tonight.”

  Evan walked Dylan back to the bar area. Before she left, he took her by the hand and spun her towards him. With his free hand, he cupped Dylan’s cheek, whispering, “God, you’re so beautiful,” as he slowly lowered his lips to hers. Dylan knew she should have pushed him away, but for some reason she couldn’t move. The touch of his lips to hers was gentle. Even though there was tenderness, there was no spark between them. Maybe the reason she allowed Evan to kiss her was to find out if there was a connection between them. Evan was very attractive, someone she could see herself with. The problem was he wasn’t Rade.

  Stepping back from him, Dylan gazed into his eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let you do that.”

  Evan released her hand. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have come on to you that way.”

  “I need to get back to work,” Dylan said as she turned and left.

  Even though Evan was attracted to Dylan, he didn’t want to push Dylan into a relationship with him unless she wanted it.

  Dylan left Riley’s confused. The last thing she wanted was to lead Evan into thinking there was more between them than friendship. He was a really sweet guy and she really wanted to have his friendship. The only other friend she had was Lilly. It would be nice to have a male friend. Nothing like having a different perspective on things.

  Getting back to the office over an hour later, Dylan opted to dig back into the files on her desk instead of stopping to grab lunch. Every file she went through had accounting errors. It wasn’t that she didn’t like a good challenge, but with the workload in front of her, she knew she would be putting in an all-nighter. Her best bet was to get through them as quickly as possible so she could get home and relax. Dylan was working away when a knock on her door startled her. Veronica peeked her head through the cracked door. “I’m going to take off for the night. I’ll see you in the morning.” Dylan readjusted herself while waving to Veronica. “See you tomorrow.” Veronica closed the door and left Dylan to her work.

  Feeling the tension from staring at the computer, Dylan needed a break. As she walked to the break room for something to drink, she noticed everyone else had left for the evening as well. Dylan enjoyed working late. It was the best time for her to get some work done without any interruptions. After getting herself something to drink, Dylan managed to get through all of the files. Looking at her watch, it was already ten o’clock. She needed to get home. Shutting down her computer and grabbing her belongings, she stepped into the elevator. Peter was leaning patiently against the front of the car. He opened the back passenger door for her, only to reveal Rade sitting tensely, holding a crystal tumbler filled to the rim with an amber liquid.

  His eyes were cold. “Get in, Dylan.” Dylan hesitated. She wasn’t sure what was up with him, but she knew he wasn’t in a good mood. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

  Dylan slowly got into the car. Peter was standing behind her to shut the door as she settled in the car. Looking at Rade, Dylan questioned his cold mood, “What is your problem?”

  Rade didn’t look at Dylan as he began laughing at her comment.

  Nothing was said between them as Peter made his way through the streets of Manhattan. Dylan couldn’t stand the silence any longer. “Rade, can you tell me what is going on with you?”

  Taking another drink of his scotch, he glanced over to Dylan. “Maybe the better question is, what is going on with you?”

  If Dylan wasn’t confused by his behavior before, she was completely confused now. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Once again Rade began laughing at Dylan. “Well, let me help you out.” Refilling his glass he continued. “Do you want to tell me where you went this afternoon?”

  Dylan knew exactly what Rade was referring too, but she didn’t understand how Rade would have known about her meeting with Evan, unless he had her followed. “Oh my God, you had me followed.” Dylan’s good mood was quickly changing to unbearable.

  “That’s not the point. The point is you got caught.”

  Dylan was speechless. She tried to think who could have seen her. She knew she shouldn’t have let Evan kiss her. It didn’t mean anything. It just happened, but once it did, she knew then, the only man she could ever be with was Rade.

  Dylan placed her hand over Rade’s only to feel him pull away from her. “Rade please let me explain.”

  Keeping his eyes directed forward, he harshly said, “Explain, Dylan.”

  Trying to keep her tears at bay, she looked down at her lap. “His name is Evan. He asked me to have dinner with him. I was so mad at you that I accepted. But after last night, I couldn’t do it. I went to Riley’s to let him know I couldn’t have dinner with him. There’s nothing between us.”

  Rade didn’t believe her. When he found out from Josh that she had gone there, he had to see for himself. He walked into the bar finding a table out of sight in the back and just waited. His pulse rose when he saw Dylan being kissed by another man. Embraced in what looked like a passionate kiss. Even though he couldn’t hear the conversation, Rade knew something was going on between them. How would he be able to trust her? What else had she been keeping from him?

  “Rade, please say something,” Dylan pleaded.

  There were no words from Rade. Feeling like her world was closing in, Dylan needed to escape. “Peter, stop the car.” When Peter continued driving, Dylan yelled again with more force as she grabbed the door handle. “Peter, stop the fucking car!” Peter slowed down the car and pulled to the side of the road when he realized Dylan had her door open and was getting ready to jump out.

  The car finally came to a complete stop. Dylan wasted no time getting out of the car. She looked at her surroundings. Quickly removing her shoes, she began running up the street. She knew her apartment building was only a block away. Her tears were flowing uncontrollably the closer she got to her building. She didn’t notice that Rade got out of the car behind her. She was so upset, she didn’t even hear Rade yelling her name. Coming up on her building, she swiped her key card and entered the building. The elevator was already open, letting a couple of tenants off. Dylan was thankful she was able to get on alone. Stabbing her finger at the close door button, she prayed the door would shut. Her emotions were running wild. She couldn’t even think straight. Arriving at her floor, Dylan ran to her apartment. Closing her door, she fell to the floor and cried even harder. Within minutes there was a knock at the door. “Go away.”

  Dylan heard a familiar voice from the other side. “Dylan, open the door.” Placing her head against the door, she said, “Please, Rade, just go.”

  There was silence for a moment before Rade spoke. “Dylan, I’m not leaving until we talk. You can open the door for me or I can open it myself.”

  Standing up, Dylan slowly unlocked the door and swung the door open. Rade was standing with one arm propped against the door jam and the other on his hip. As Dylan was turning to walk away from him, he gently grabbed her arm. Dylan didn’t resist his hold; she only looked up at him with tears still falling from her face. “Rade, I don’t know what more you want me to say. I made a mistake.” Dylan took in a deep breath before she continued. “I felt nothing. I thought by letting him kiss me, I could move on, but there was nothing there.” Dylan’s tears of regret turned into tears of anger as she remembered Rade having her followed. “What hurts the most is… you didn’t trust me. You had me followed.”

  Dylan tried pulling her arm away from Rade, but his hold was too tight. “Why does it hurt, Dylan? Is it because I had you followed or is it the fact you got caught kissing him. It looked like more than nothing to me. Have you fucked him? Spread those gorgeous legs for him?”

  Dylan couldn’t believe what she just
heard. What she did was wrong, but in no way did she deserve his words. In one swift move her tiny hand met his cheek with a loud smack. “I hate you. Get out.” Dylan was ready to smack him again, but Rade was too quick. Both her arms were caught by his much stronger ones.

  Being slapped by Dylan was the last thing Rade expected. When he took hold of her hands, he could see the fury in her eyes. Even though he was angry with her, the only thing he wanted was her beneath him, begging him to fuck her. With his cock hardening every second he stood there, he lowered his shoulders and swiftly slug her over his shoulders. “Let me go.” He had no intension of letting her go, even though she continued to fight him as he carried her to her bedroom. By the time they reached the bed, Dylan was furious. The adrenaline took over and she tried with everything she had to break from his hold. Rade gently placed her on the bed. Every time Dylan tried to stand, he pushed her back onto the bed. With every push, he got closer to having all of his clothes removed. He didn’t give her the chance to remove her own clothing; he simply ripped them from her body like nothing. The only two garments of clothing left by the time he was finished were her bra and underwear.

  Looking down at her beautiful body Rade sneered, “If you want to keep those from being ripped from your body, I suggest you remove them yourself.”

  Dylan was contemplating what to do. Rade’s control over her made her want him, but she didn’t want sex to be the answer to what just happened. Hoping he would just give up, she crossed her hands over her chest. “I am not taking anything off. If…”

  Before she could finish her statement, Rade had her bra torn off her and wrapped around her wrists. Her panties were next. He took the scrap of material and secured her already bound hands to the headboard. Dylan tried to break her hold, but her bindings were too tight.