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We both sipped our drinks.
Dani finally said, “Why are you avoiding him?”
I stared at my cup. “I’d rather not say.”
“Fair enough. You’ll say it to him,” Dani said. “Once he sees you, he will damned well insist.”
My heart skipped a beat. “He’s still in town?”
“Yes. He didn’t go back to Texas,” Dani said with a hint of amusement at my shocked expression. “I’ll call him now, and let him know you’re at the office.”
I reached out and touched her arm, then pulled back. “Don’t interfere.” Then very quietly, I added, “Please.”
Dani moved her chair next to me and put her arm around me. “Why are you afraid? You’re about to get everything you want.”
I gave her a confused look. “What do you mean by that?”
She only smiled. “I’ll leave that for you to find out. You have also run out of time on telling Jonas about Declan. I’m telling him everything.”
I shook my head frantically. “No, please. You can’t.”
She pressed her lips to my forehead. “You’re warm. Are you feeling okay?”
I swiped the beads of sweat from around my hairline. “I’m a little tired.”
Dani’s eyes bore into mine. “From all that running.”
I nodded, unable to speak. I knew she wasn’t just talking about my physical exercise, or the fact that I was ill. I had been running for a long time. Running away, avoiding… lying. I was physically and mentally exhausted.
She gave me an empathetic look. “I don’t like secrets. We have always been open and honest with each other. I can’t do this to you or to him. So accept this and understand. I hope in time you will come to know I’m not doing this to hurt you, but to help you.”
I opened my mouth and closed it. I could tell she had reached the end of her patience and was going to do this no matter what I said to her. And, though it angered me, I surrendered. Her posture was all-authoritative, but it softened as she studied me.
“Don’t worry. Everything will work out.”
She gave me a side hug then stood up, leaving me staring after her as she walked out of the café, her phone already at her ear.
I slowly walked back to the office. I busied myself at my station, but all the time my mind raced as I pondered what Dani was telling Jonas. What would he do? Would he care?
As the afternoon went on, I became weary, but then my phone chirped. My hand trembled as I read the message from Jonas.
He texted
No more avoiding me. It ends today.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
‡
Ifelt mypulse in my ears as I sat pinned to my office chair. Dani had told Jonas what happened and he was coming to get me. What his “getting me” meant, I didn’t know. My cowardice had me wanting to flee before he came, but my exhaustion, along with my curiosity, had me remaining still. The truth was, I missed him. My love for him made me wait.
My phone beeped and my heart leapt. I fumbled as I took it to view the message. My heart stopped. It was a photo. This one was of me naked from the back, sleeping on Declan’s bed. As I gazed in horror, a text message came in.
I showed this one to the guys at work today. Some of them would still do you. This is for all your text messages bothering me about your stupid stuff. You bother me. I’ll bother you.
My body absorbed the weight of my thoughts as I placed my head in my hands. Dani was wrong. Jonas and I wouldn’t get our time. Declan held my memories hostage and photos that could not only destroy me, but Jonas, too. Sure, he’d be prosecuted, but after the damage was already done, damage to my reputation, and Jonas’s. God, I cursed the day I ever met him.
The air shifted in the room and I didn’t have to look up to know who was there. I felt him all over me. I lifted my head up and faltered.
