Page 69 of Playing for Keeps

“It’s bigger than your dorm room.”

“Exactly! We’re moving up in the world,” I said with a laugh that was only partially forced.

“Where is Kelly, anyway?”

Gazing around the apartment, I saw remnants of the whirlwind that was my roommate. Her sneakers sitting on the coffee table. A sweater tossed over the back of a chair. Her suitcase was on the floor inside her bedroom door, the handle poking out into the living room.

“Not sure,” I told him, heading to my room to get changed. “She was in Seattle for work last week, but came home on Thursday night.”

I swallowed hard, pushing down the memories. She’d barged into my bedroom Friday morning, holding the trash can that was overflowing with my comforter. One look at my face, and any snide comments were forgotten as she rushed to my side to comfort me. I’d invited my friend to the wedding, desperately wanting her support, but she already had plans and didn’t want to back out.

“She sometimes stays out late and sleeps over at a friend’s. I’m sure she’ll be home later, and you can tell her all about what you did.”

Vinny grimaced, his eyes on me as I stripped out of his clothes and replaced them with my own for work. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

“Don’t worry, she’ll be fine. It all worked out in the end.”

“Not everyone is as forgiving as you, love.”

“Hey.” I stepped over to Vinny and took his hands in mine. “It’ll be fine. This place is nicer than her last place. She still tells me how much better it is, and it’s been months.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I’m always right.”

Vinny rolled his eyes at me, then pressed a kiss to my lips. “We better hurry. You’re going to be late.”

The bags under my eyes were nearly as bad as they’d been the day of the wedding, but my makeup bag was in Mom and Dad’s rental car. I borrowed some of Kelly’s makeup, trying to tone down the purple under my eyes, then gave up when it became obvious it wasn’t doing any good. By the time Vinny pulled up outside Guardian Group, I was already a half hour late.

“I’ll pick you up tonight after work?” Vinny said, his hand holding mine as I stared out the window at the office building.

I didn’t want to go. Didn’t want to leave Vinny. Didn’t want to run into Aaron in the halls. I wasn’t sure how he’d treat me after what we’d done, or whether he’d tell our friends or my boss. It was sure to be awkward, no matter what, and I wasn’t looking forward to it one bit.

“I’m going to miss you.” I spun in my seat, wrapping my arms around Vinny’s neck. He smoothed my hair and pressed a kiss to my head.

“I’ll miss you, too.”

I watched as Vinny drove off into traffic, then pushed through the doors to the building before heading upstairs. The whir of the elevator’s motors grated on my nerves, the familiar ding as it reached the ninth floor made me jump. The commotion that greeted me when I stepped off made me wish I’d stayed in bed.

It was far from the quiet I was used to on the accounting and finance floor. All around me, people stood chatting in hushed tones. Shoulders were hunched while others’ heads were perked up, searching out the source of the chaos. As I stepped into the room, all eyes turned to me. Those hushed tones ceased, broken only by gasps and dramatic whispers. Fingers were pointed my way and it made me shrink into myself.

It was high school all over again. Like I was the poor pariah who people only put up with because my brother was a star. And for the first time in years, I felt that old, familiar feeling, wondering whether any of them were really my friends.

I caught Kristen’s eye from across the room, but she turned away as quickly as she could. My heart plummeted into my stomach as I stood there wondering what I did.

A head bobbed, slim shoulders pushing through the crowd. My boss made his way toward me, half his face pulled up in a smirk. I braced myself, praying he didn’t make a spectacle out of me. But what I got wasn’t what I was expecting at all.

“Jen.” Rhys pulled me into his arms, giving me a hug. “Jesus, thank God, you’re safe.”

“What’s going on?” I asked, voice wavering, as he pulled back.

His eyes seemed to glimmer as he looked down with me, even though that half-smirk had fallen into a frown. His hands were holding my arms, thumbs grazing my shoulders, and I wanted to pull away, to run, to hide, to bury myself in Vinny’s arms. “We weren’t sure where you were. When you didn’t show up, we thought the worst.”

“The worst?” After a half hour?

“Jen Lucas?” My head whipped to the right at the sound of my name, and my eyes widened as my heart stopped. Standing just behind Rhys was a uniformed police officer, gun in his holster, notepad and pen in his hands.

“T-that’s me. What’s going on?”