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He didn’t seem to know what to do as he carefully wrapped an awkward hand around me. “Thank you,” I said sincerely. My mother slowly walked over, putting a gentle hand on both our backs in what I imagined was meant to be a family hug. When had it become so stifled and awkward between us?
“How did you find this?” I asked. My father ran a hand over his tie, tidying his appearance.
He cleared his throat, still a little flustered, from the ordeal or the family hug, I wasn’t so sure. Dad pointed to the library. “Your friend that works in IT, he’d managed to accumulate some things.” My heart pounded. My friend? “He said you’d asked him to look into it. Thank you, Cassidy, and… I’m sorry.”
I only knew one person who worked in IT. No, didn’t work in IT, ran a staff of over two hundred people in IT type of guy. I swallowed hard. “Is he still here?” I asked in a distant voice.
My father combed through his pepper-sprinkled hair and cleared his throat as if the apology itself had singed him. But he’d done it and said it, much to my disbelief. But my breath hitched for other reasons now. Had it been Eric?
“He’s in the library now, said he could wait for your return,” my father said, throwing back the glass of whiskey.
“Let’s sit in the other room,” my mother said knowingly as she guided my father into the second lounge with the bottle of whisky in hand. I had the distinct impression my father would be waking up with a sore head in the morning.
When they’d left, I turned around facing the library, the wooden doors slightly ajar. I’d been surprised by my father so openly displaying his rage with someone else in the penthouse who could hear. I supposed it just showed how mad he was at the idea of being tricked by what had been a longtime friend. But I supposed some friendships came at a price. Especially in the inner circles that my parents danced amongst.
My outstretched hand paused at the door, my heart hammering in my ears. Tears welled in my eyes before I’d even pushed the door open, hopeful as to who might be on the other side. I continued on. Soundlessly, it exposed a thick, muscular, suit-covered back. He’d been looking over the classical library my father enjoyed collecting.
Slowly, Eric turned, that rugged beard and features looking like they were carved out of stone and squeezed perfectly into the suit. His forest-green eyes were trained on me as he slid the book back onto the shelf.
I wasn’t entirely sure what to say, so I foolishly said the first thing that popped into my head. I waved a hand over him. “Wow Chicago Eric in a suit, huh?” He looked over himself self-consciously. “It looks good,” I blurted. “Not that you needed my approval or anything.” Why was I still talking?
His mouth twitched at the corner, fluttering all kinds of emotions into me. No, I was reading into this all wrong. I tried to calm my jittery nerves.
“You found those things about Frederick’s family?”
He nodded. Then more palpable silence. My heart pounded in my chest. Why wasn’t he saying anything? Why was he here? I just wanted to run up and throw myself around him, but the last time I’d seen him he was bleeding on the ground with disgust and betrayal twisting his features. I was scared if I took one step closer, his disgust would reappear.
“How’s your arm and leg?” I asked. He seemed surprised by my question. Whatever his train of thought had been it’d stopped.
“They’re fine,” he said roughly and cleared his throat. “And the information wasn’t that difficult to find, I had a team on it, so it only took us a few days to find cold hard proof.”
I nodded, still standing closely to the doorframe as if it was giving me strength to stand. “How did you know where to find us?”
I was saying all the wrong things. Are you here for me? Do you still hate me? I’m sorry.
He rounded the big wooden desk, coming to a stop before it and leaning against its edge. If my father saw him do it, he’d probably lose his shit. “When I began researching your family’s name it wasn’t hard to find your whereabouts, Cassidy. Or should I say your father’s. And it’s even easier to get in touch with him when you have the right contacts.”
I gulped, almost too scared to ask my next question. “But you came to deliver them personally?”
He let out a slow breath, those intense green eyes boring into me. A mixture of hope and pain rolled through me.
He seemed to not know what to do with his hands as he nodded. “After that asshole took you from the cabin, I left straight for Chicago the next day. I thought I’d go back to normal, but I was more pissed off with the world than usual and I couldn’t get you out of my fucking head.” I winced at every curse word he used, feeling their impact of anger and hurt. “About a week ago, Lori flew to Chicago and kicked me up the ass.” Sounded like Lori alright. He licked his lips as if parched. His expression turned innocent. “I realized I might’ve been unfair to you.”
“No, I was the one in wrong,” I quickly said. He offered a lopsided smile that took my breath away and stopped me short.
“You turned my world upside down, snowflake.” My heart melted at his nickname. “And every morning when I wake up, I still find myself looking for you fluttering about the kitchen or doing some weird pose for yoga, even in my Chicago home. I haven’t been able to sleep right since that night and even though you’re not with me, you’re still somehow driving me absolutely insane.”
My bottom lip wobbled.
“And I miss you reading that goddamn book. It doesn’t matter what book it is your reading, I just miss your voice and commentary. And I miss us. I know it’s unreasonable. I know we weren’t meant to meet and I’m just an old fucking man but I’m also a tired one. And for the first time in a long time, I’m finding myself here, taking a risk with you, hopeful that you’ll accept my apology.”
My voice wavered. “That was an apology?”
He exhaled a sharp breath with a taut smile. “Yes, sweetheart. I didn’t know you were under those types of pressures. I should’ve protected you but instead I locked up and selfishly thought about myself.”
I shook my head, taking a step forward. “No, you were thinking about your family, and I hadn’t told you the truth. I brought a bad man into your town, and I’ll never be able to apologize enough for that.”
Breathlessly, I’d taken the last few steps between us somehow and now stood in front of him. My heart hammering in my chest.
