Chapter Twenty-Seven
My hand is trembling when I reach for the doorknob. I’ve never once
been scared to walk into my own business before, but I’ve also never
been this on edge.
The building is dark when I enter it, so I flip on the lights, holding
my breath. I walk slowly to my office, pushing the door open with
caution.
He’s nowhere, yet he’s everywhere.
When I take a seat at my desk, I turn on my phone for the first time
since I went to bed last night. I wanted a good night’s sleep without
having to worry about whether or not Ryle was trying to contact me.
When it powers on, I have twenty-nine missed texts from Ryle. It
just so happens to be the same number of doors Ryle knocked on to
find my apartment last year.
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at the irony.
I spend the rest of the day like this. Glancing over my shoulder,
looking up at the door every time it opens. I wonder if he’s ruined
me. If the fear of him will ever leave me.
Half a day goes by without a single phone call from him while I
catch up on paperwork. Allysa calls me after lunch and I can tell by
her voice that she has no idea about the fight Ryle and I had. I let her
talk about the baby for a while before I pretend I have a customer and
hang up.
I plan on leaving when Lucy returns from her lunch break. She has
half an hour left.
Ryle walks through the front door three minutes later.
I’m the only one here.
As soon as I see him, I turn stone cold. I’m standing behind the
counter, my hand on the cash register because it’s close to the stapler.
I’m sure a stapler couldn’t do much harm against the arms of a
neurosurgeon, but I’ll use what I have.