by Lila Kane
“Whoa,” Paige said, standing and wobbling a little. “You didn’t say that before.”
“Eat more cheese,” Leslie suggested. “No, you didn’t mention that.”
Paige frowned. “Where is that pizza? How come he was having lunch with her?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. But even worse, she wants him back. Like, she’s completely ready to go for it. And if she’s that invested, it means she has no idea he’s already in a relationship.”
“Although, he wasn’t at that point, right?” Paige asked. “Because you broke up with him. I mean, sorry Charlotte. God, that was insensitive. I’m just saying, that could be why he didn’t say anything when he was having lunch with her.”
I swallowed. “No, you’re right. I mean, I know he still cared at that point. He was trying to get back together with me but I could see why he didn’t say anything.”
And the realization was heavy in my stomach. I couldn’t exactly blame Finn for any of this.
Leslie smiled at me. “Regardless, that bitch had better back off. And Finn needs to make it clear where he stands with her. If not, then he’s definitely an asshole.” She blinked at the tequila. “Oh, shit. I just called my boss an asshole. I need food.”
Laughing, I stood. “I’ll grab water.”
A slow buzz made its way to my head. Suddenly I was a lot less angry with Finn. And a lot more hungry. A knock sounded at the door.
“I’ll get it,” I said, already halfway there. I opened the door, surprised to find Dustin holding a box of pizza. I peered down the hallway. “Where did he go?”
“I took care of it,” Dustin said, passing the box over.
“Oh, no, you didn’t have to. It’s—”
“Better that way, Ms. Evans. No problem.”
“Oh,” I said again, realizing what he meant. He didn’t want anyone coming to the door. It was safer this way. “Now I feel bad. Let me find my purse. Just, hold on—”
“Please don’t worry about it. It’s taken care of.”
Guilt seeped in. “Can I at least get you something to eat or drink or—”
“No, thank you. I’ll switch shifts in a few hours.”
“You don’t have to stay. Really. Or I can call when I’m ready to go.” At his look, I sighed. “Okay, I know. We’ve gone over this. It’s your job.”
He smiled kindly. “Right.”
“Just…” I gestured inside. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“I will. And Ms. Evans…if you don’t mind me saying. Mr. Moore has been calling to check in on you. I told him I wouldn’t leave the door but I think he’d be more reassured if he heard from you.”
I nodded. “Thanks, Dustin.”
I delivered the box of pizza to the table while Paige found plates and napkins.
“I’ll be there in a minute,” I called, snatching my phone from my purse and walking down the hall for some privacy.
The minute the screen lit up, guilt ate at me again. There were three texts and two missed calls from Finn.
Just wanted to make sure you made it okay.
Let me know when you’re ready to leave. I’ll come get you.
I’m so sorry about Tracy.
I didn’t check the voice messages but instead called his number. When he picked up, I heard noise in the background. “Charlotte,” he said immediately. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Where are you?”
“With Jake. At the restaurant in Housing. I wanted to be close in case you needed me.”
“Dustin’s here, Finn. You don’t have to—”
“I’m waiting until you’re ready to go. I can come get you. Or we can go to your place. Wherever you want. But you’re not staying alone.”
I leaned against the wall, closing my eyes. The floor felt like it was moving beneath me and I opened my eyes again. “I understand. We might be a while longer.”
“Take as long as you need.”
“Finn…” I sighed. There were so many things I wanted to say in that one moment. “I’m sorry about before.”
“Don’t apologize. Enjoy your evening. I’ll wait for your call.”
I nodded to myself as I ended the call. Finn was close by. And even though we’d had a rough day, things were still okay. Which meant I’d better enjoy myself while I had the chance because after today I had a lot of work to do to get my week in order.
Especially if I planned on telling Finn I thought we should head to the cabin soon.
“You sure it’s okay if I crash here tonight?” Jake asked me and Finn as we entered Finn’s apartment from the elevator later that same night.
“Of course it’s okay,” I said, laughing when the words came out slower than I meant them to. “I am.”
Jake slung his arm around my shoulder. “You’re funny when you’ve been drinking. I bet we can find something else to drink around here.”
Still laughing, I supported him as much as he supported me while we walked to the kitchen.
Finn stayed at the elevator, talking in low tones to Dustin.
“He should go home,” I said to Jake, nudging him with my elbow. “Tell Dustin to go home—he doesn’t want to stay here all night. What does he do—stand by the elevator and just…wait?”
“Shh,” Jake said, snagging my hand and pulling me into the kitchen with a spin. “He’s doing his job, so let him.”
I frowned, making him grin. When I swayed trying to reach a high cupboard, Jake pointed to a spot by the counter.
“Stand there. Stay there.”
“Right here?” I pointed.
“Right there. Don’t move or you’re going to fall down.”
I grinned. “Yes, sir. But, uh…”
He pulled down two glasses. “What?”
“I lost my train of thought.”
He nodded. “Happens.”
“No, wait. I got it. If I…have work tomorrow.”
Jake flashed me a smile over his shoulder. “I’m with you so far.”
“Yep. And I have to stand right here so I don’t fall down. And I can’t even remember what I was going to say, maybe I shouldn’t be having more to drink.”
“You could skip work tomorrow. Play hooky. Lounge all day in your pajamas and watch bad television.”
“You could try to sound a little less like your brother. How do you think I’m going to have any kind of credibility around here if I never show up to work?”
“You have credibility,” Finn said, walking around the corner. He held out a hand for me. “Come here.”
“I can’t. Jake said I have to stand right here.”
“Why right there?”
Jake smiled. “Because she’s drunk and I didn’t want her to fall down. Then you’d really be mad at me.”
I faced Finn. “You’re mad at Jake?”
Finn rubbed a hand over his eyes with a sigh. He sounded far soberer than either of us. “No.”
“Yes, he is. He’s mad because I told him not to go up to your tequila party—that is what you were drinking, right? I remember you always went for tequila.”
“I’m thinking that’s a bad thing if that’s one of my defining characteristics,” I said.
“And he’s mad at me for saying he should have told you about Tracy—”
“Fuck.” Finn glared at Jake. “Can you shut up already?”
This only seemed to amuse Jake more. He held up a bottle of wine. “You sure you don’t want a glass? I call you in sick to work tomorrow.” He smirked. “I’m sure your boss won’t mind.”
I snickered, but Finn’s expression made the humor vanish. He looked tired, worn out. Upset.
“Can we talk?” he asked.
I started to say yes. We needed to be on the same page. But I was still buzzed and I was still upset from earlier. I needed a clear head to talk to Finn. Right now, I was far from it.
“I’m kind of tired right now.”
“No problem. Go get comfortable.” He gestured down the hall in the direction
of his room. I followed his gaze and he saw my hesitation. “Or…you can use another room if you’d like.”
Jake’s lips pursed in a low whistle. “Yeah…I’ll just give you two lovebirds a minute.”
He walked away with the bottle of wine, still whistling as he vanished in the opposite direction, probably to one of the spare rooms.
“Do you want me to get you set up somewhere else?” Finn asked, keeping his distance.
“No,” I said honestly. “I want to be close to you. I don’t—I’m not ready to talk right now. But I’ll sleep in your room if that’s all right.”
He nodded, brushing his hand down my arm. “Of course. I’d prefer it that way.”
I smiled at him. “I’m kind of hungry.”
“That sounds like a better idea than the wine. Go relax. I’ll bring something in.”
Grateful for the moment alone, I wandered down the hall, the lights dim. I still wore my work clothes but I’d ditched my heels back at the door and my feet were quiet on the hard floor. I padded to the bed, frowning when something touched my foot. It was soft, just a quick brush against my heel.
With a sigh, I collapsed on the bed, too tired to care what I’d stepped on.
But when I turned my head on the pillow and the same soft thing brushed my cheek, I gasped and then sat up. Tentatively, I reached out, searching for the object on my pillow.
It was smooth and waxy between my fingertips. The scent of roses wafted up to me. I gave a nervous smile.
“Finn?”
Maybe he’d put the flowers there. But roses?
I snapped on the lamp by the bed. My breath caught. There were rose petals everywhere. On the bed, on the floor by the bed. Not red this time, but yellow. A cheerful color that stood out on the dark comforter.
“Finn,” I whispered, so quiet I knew he couldn’t hear me. I stood up, taking in the scene before me.
Then I saw the note, just a thin slip of paper at the top of the pillow.
My hand shook as I reached out.
“Charlotte?” Finn called. I heard his footsteps coming down the hallway.
Part of me wanted to scream for him and the other part to rationalize this. Somehow.
I opened the paper and read the words.
I wish you would have stayed at home tonight. I don’t like you being there. But I hope you like the roses anyway, yellow because I know you don’t like red. Sorry about the drama—I wanted to deliver them to your office but I wasn’t sure if they’d get to you. Let’s get together soon.
“Char—” Finn stopped in the doorway, eyes taking in the spread of petals on the bed and me standing by the end table, the note in my hand. “What the fuck?”
“I think John was in here.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Finn dumped the plates of food on the dresser and had his cell phone out in an instant. He strode calmly to me where I stood, my hands still shaking.
“Come on.”
“Finn—”
He gave a quick shake of his head. “He could still be here.”
I took his hand and let him tow me to the living room, eyes vigilant as he snapped out a command to someone on the other end of the phone.
“Are you okay?” Finn asked when he hung up.
“Where’s Dustin?”
“He’s coming. Charlotte, are you okay?”
I stumbled into him when he slowed his pace near the elevator.
“I’m fine,” I whispered.
If I said it, I was. I had to be. I’d promised myself I wasn’t going to run from this anymore, which meant standing up to Mark and John.
Jake appeared in the hallway, squinting to see us in the dim lighting. “What’s going on?”
“He might be in the apartment,” Finn said.
Jake was alert instantly, his eyes scanning the living room all the way to the wide bank of windows and the city lights glimmering outside.
“My room was clear,” he said.
Finn nodded. “Good. Wait in there. Dustin’s on his way.”
“Wait,” I said when Jake took my hand. “Finn—”
“It’s fine.” Jake squeezed my fingers but he wouldn’t let me go. “Come on.”
“But—”
“Please,” Finn said, meeting my gaze briefly. “Wait with Jake.”
I opened my mouth to protest, afraid to leave Finn out here by himself. I’d read the note and John had sounded jealous. Finn could be in danger.
But Jake wouldn’t release my hand. He ushered me down the hall and into his bedroom. He shut the door firmly behind him and locked it.
“Jake,” I said, standing right behind him at the door. “Something could happen to Finn.”
“He said Dustin was on his way. He’ll be fine.”
I gripped his arm. “Can you just listen to me for a minute? Damn it, Jake—I’m scared for Finn. We need to make sure he’s okay.”
He wouldn’t move from the door. He turned, face calm just like Finn’s had been, and said just as calmly, “Charlotte, what you need to do is stay right here.”
“But—”
“If someone wanted to hurt Finn, they’ve had chances, right? They could have already done it. Come on Charlotte,” Jake said, his voice soothing. “You know that.”
His words made sense. They were rational. But there was an irrational part of me that wanted to race out there and drag Finn into the room with me. I couldn’t lose him. I couldn’t let him get hurt.
“Take a breath,” Jake said.
My lungs tightened and I realized I’d been holding my breath. I let out the air in one long whoosh and a sob followed. If I hadn’t gone anywhere tonight, John might not have come in. Or if I’d gone to my apartment—
“What was that?”
Jake turned to the door. I stepped up next to him.
“Voices,” he said with a nod. I lifted my eyes to his. “Probably Dustin. They’ll sweep the place, maybe get Powell up here. Don’t worry, just a precaution.”
“Were you guys downstairs the whole night?”
“Most of it, yeah.”
“Did you come up to the apartment at all?”
Jake shook his head, eyes narrowing on mine. “No. Why?”
“He knew you weren’t here. He had to. I doubt he’d risk coming in and hoping he’d be able to get into the apartment when someone wasn’t here. He had to have known.”
Jake angled his head, thinking it through. “The cameras?”
“I bet he could have hacked in or, or—he’s doing it from his own computer. Or—”
A noise outside the door made me tense. Jake reached out, his hand curling around my arm.
“It’s me,” Finn said, his voice muffled.
Jake unlocked the door and I reached for Finn immediately, my gaze sweeping his body quickly for injuries and then stopping on his face. “Are you okay?”
He smiled at me, and despite the strain in it, it was welcome. “I’m fine.”
“Dustin?”
“He’s okay, too.” Finn gripped my hand. “Let’s pack some things and—”
“Pack?” I followed him out of the room and down the hallway.
When I spotted Curtis, more relief seeped in. John had to be long gone—there was no way he could hide in the apartment.
“Charlotte,” Curtis said with a nod, using my first name again.
“I’m sorry,” I said automatically.
Amusement lit his eyes briefly. “Nothing to apologize for. I’m going to have to take another look at the room.”
I nodded, turning to the hallway.
Finn’s hand tightened on mine. “You don’t have to go in there again. We’re leaving.”
“Sir,” Dustin said, “I’ve already got another room set up for you in Tower 2.”
“Or we could go to my place,” Jake offered.
“No.”
They all looked to me when I said the word.
Finn wrapped his arm around me, turning his lips to my ear. “Please. It’ll be
best.”
“I don’t think he’s coming back. No, I know he’s not coming back. He wouldn’t risk it—especially with you guys here now. He—”
“By he,” Curtis said, “you mean…?”
“John.”
“You’re sure it was him?”
I swallowed. Nodded. “Yellow roses. Mark would have left red ones. And the note—”
“There was another fucking note?” Finn asked, anger seeping in.
“Sorry, sorry,” I said, fishing it out of my pocket.
“What does it say?” Finn asked.
Curtis took it from me and read the words to himself. His expression didn’t change, and he passed it to Finn. Finn’s whole body tensed. Jake leaned over his shoulder to read it as well, murmuring something I couldn’t make out.
Fighting for calm, I said, “He might have been in my apartment, too.”
Everyone looked at me again. I pointed to the note. “That’s what it sounds like. He wasn’t sure if I was coming here or not, so he might have been in my apartment, too. Left something there. Maybe another note or more flowers.”
My voice shook just slightly but I kept my cool. Curtis nodded at me, respect in his eyes. “You’re right. We’ll check that out, too.”
“In the meantime,” Finn said, turning to me.
“In the meantime, I think we should try to contact him.”
“What?” Finn snapped.
“Charlotte,” Jake said, disapproval in his tone.
I held out my hands. “Listen. He just…it sounds like he only wants to talk. I think—”
“Out of the question,” Finn said.
“Can you just listen for a minute?” I asked. Before he could answer, I faced Curtis, appealing to him. “Maybe if I agree to talk to him, this can get resolved.”
Finn dragged a hand through his hair. “We’re not fucking using you as bait. This is ridiculous.”
“You’re thinking with your emotions,” I said quietly.
“Damn right I’m thinking with my emotions, and I feel like I don’t want you around that asshole.”
“Stop,” I said.
Jake took Finn’s arm, trying to reason with him. He shook it off at the same time Curtis stepped into the conversation. There were too many voices, too many things going on at once. Dustin’s gaze connected with mine. He looked sympathetic.