Part 26 (1/2)

”Oh?” Then what the h.e.l.l was it?

”Her loyalties don't lie with you.”

”What do you mean?”

”You said you wanted to make your own mistakes, so I'm letting you. Do your homework. You'll figure it out.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

On the walk back, I'd pulled my hair up into a twist so I didn't look like I'd very recently been nailed on a writing desk. I returned to the office and ignored Risa's guilty look in my direction. I couldn't make eye contact with her. As soon as I pa.s.sed the part.i.tion, James was behind me.

”How did it go?”

His tone had an edge, reminiscent of the bitter jealousy that I'd recently unleashed onto Blake. I sighed, wis.h.i.+ng I hadn't chosen to come here first.

”Fine. We're on the same page now.”

”I can see that,” he said quietly, thumbing a tender spot high on my neck. He shook his head and turned to leave as quickly as he'd come.

I sat down and opened my compact. In the tiny mirror I saw a quarter-sized violet bruise where James's hand had grazed.

My face heated. G.o.dd.a.m.n it, Blake.

He was ruthless in his jealousy, and now James was obviously p.i.s.sed that I'd gone and done exactly what he'd said I would.

I sulked back into my chair, overwhelmed. And to think I'd once been worried about office culture. I would be lucky if James didn't quit before I had a chance to rip Risa a new one for shamelessly pursuing my ex, or whatever Blake officially was right now. In that moment I was incredibly grateful for Sid and Chris's generally uneventful social lives. I created enough drama for the whole office all by myself.

I waited until everyone left at five. For the first time in a long time, James didn't stay late. I knew he was upset when he didn't bother saying goodbye. I bolted the door and went over to Risa's desk. I looked through her paperwork carefully. Everything seemed to be in order. Contracts, notes, print collateral.

I sat in her chair and moved her mouse. Her computer screen lit up and I started looking through her files. I clicked over to her email and scrolled through dozens of messages between her and clients, myself, and others on the team. Everything looked normal. I hoped Blake wasn't sending me on a wild goose chase to justify their lunch.

I checked her sent mail and scanned down a few pages. I stopped on an email to Max t.i.tled ”Files.”

Max, Here are the files you asked for.

xo, Risa Attached were a handful of spreadsheets with all our user data, along with confidential doc.u.ments for the business that I'd shared with her when we met with Alli weeks ago.

My jaw dropped. I'd brought Risa on and shared every resource with her, taught her everything I knew, and given her the opportunity to be someone important on the ground floor of our company. Sure, we had a few personality conflicts, but this was too much.

I called Sid immediately. ”Hey, can you change Risa's email pa.s.sword?

”Sure, what's going on?”

”I don't fully know yet, but it looks like she's in cahoots with Max, the guy who was supposed to fund us originally.”

”I don't get it.”

”She sent him a database dump of the site and all our advertiser contact info, plus a ton of financials for the company that I'd shared with her when she started.”

”Whoa. Why?”

”I don't know, but I don't have a good feeling about it.”

”Have you spoken with her?”

”Not yet. Send me her new pa.s.sword and I'm going to do some more digging tonight. I want to figure out as much of this as I can before I approach her, but it's safe to say she won't be coming in on Monday.”

”All right. I'll do it now.”

I hung up and continued to fume. As p.i.s.sed as I'd been with her this afternoon, she'd crossed a new line that we couldn't come back from.

I showered quickly at the apartment and picked out something to wear. I had no idea what we were doing, so I decided on a light sleeveless top and a short floral skirt that Alli had accidentally left during her visit. I didn't have much choice but to wear my hair down since Blake had branded me with a hickey. I brushed on some light makeup and curled a few chunks of my blond strands into beachy waves and called it good.

I checked the street below, indulging the remnants of my paranoia that Connor might still be lurking, but I saw no sign of the Lincoln. Maybe that would be the end of that. If so, sneaking time with Blake might be feasible. But Blake probably wouldn't be interested in a relations.h.i.+p with me under the radar without some sort of explanation. Things between us were changing again and everything felt out of my control.

I texted Blake that I was at the apartment, and he was downstairs a few minutes later. I opened the door when he knocked, and he scooped me into his arms before I could even say h.e.l.lo. He lifted me off my feet, tilting his head up for a kiss. His smile was contagious. I lowered my head to kiss him sweetly, my hands cradling his face. He held me hostage with his kiss, drawing me into the pa.s.sionate strokes of his tongue until I was breathless and wanted him all over again.

He lowered me finally, keeping our bodies close. ”Perfect.”

My face heated at the word. I'd felt anything but perfect for so long. How could he possibly think so?

”Where are we going?” I asked, eager to s.h.i.+ft the focus away from my supposed qualities.

”You'll see. We'd better go. It's a little bit of a drive.”

After navigating through some weekend traffic, we found the coast and drove north. Gradually the city landscape changed as we pa.s.sed into the smaller suburban towns. Unlike the palette of cedar-s.h.i.+ngled mansions on the Cape, the seaside homes north of the city were more historic and quaint. The farther we went, the more impressive they were. We pulled off the main road onto Marblehead Neck, an exclusive neighborhood reaching out into the sea. Each house was majestic in its own way, grand both in size and architecture. We pulled into a large circular driveway leading up to a sprawling brick home overlooking the ocean and the Boston skyline. A few other cars were parked in the driveway to the side of the house.

We sat in the car a moment. Blake held my hand tightly in his.

”Are you going to tell me where we are?”

”This is my parents' house.”

My eyebrows shot up. ”Oh.”

”They've been wanting to meet you. I figured this was as good a time as ever.”

I checked myself in the mirror. This was all so sudden.

He smirked. ”You look perfect, baby. Don't worry. They're going to love you.”

He opened my door and we walked up the brick pathway to the main entrance. Blake's mother answered the door a moment later.

”Erica!” She smiled and pulled me over the threshold into a warm hug.