Page 47

“It’s okay, Bambi.” Another heavy sigh. “As long as you’re safe.”

I swallow around the lump in my throat. “I’m safe, Finn.” Moneyless. Jobless. And broken, but I think I am safe.

“I’ll talk to Cal, and we’ll have dinner this week. Sooner rather than later. And come visit your nephew.”

After we hang up I sit, staring at Cora’s black-and-white-checkered backsplash for I don’t know how long.

He promised me one week.

I check my phone and read through messages. Cal called me ten times. Jesus. Fucking Quinn. He promised me a week.

But what was I thinking? Trusting him? Asshole.

My watch says it’s almost six. I hope my fiancé is a workaholic, because I have no idea where he lives, but I know where he works. And I need to kill him.

“Excuse me, sir.” I smile at a young man who just left the coffee shop in the corner of the office building where Merged is located.

On his way to the turnstile, he turns and raises his eyebrows. “I know you…” He searches to connect the face with the name.

I giggle. “I get that a lot, but I’m not her.” I lie.

I don’t have an inflated ego to assume he knows who I am. I’ve just lived with my face plastered all over the world for twelve years.

He frowns and smiles. “You’re right. You look much better than that model. What’s her name?”

“Who cares?” I shrug. “I work upstairs, and I left my key card at my desk. I’ve been calling my colleagues, but everyone is gone. I need to be here tomorrow at six in the morning to prepare a boardroom, so I really need to recover my card.” I bat my eyelashes at him.

“They can help you at the front desk.” He beckons his head toward the long counter under the shiny sign listing all the companies in the building.

“I know, but they would also call my boss. I just started working here this week, and he’d get upset. He yelled at me three times today already. I can’t lose my job.”

Compassion covers his face. I knew we could bond over an asshole boss. He leans in and whispers, “Let me smuggle you in.” He winks. “We wouldn’t want you to lose the job.”

“Thank you.”

After he gets me a visitor’s pass, we enter the elevator together. As soon as the door closes, I step to the farthest corner. Shit, why are we the only two people in here?

He smiles at me through his eyelashes and doesn’t say anything while we ascend. He’s kind of cute. And normal. Just a normal guy who looks at me like I’m a normal girl.

I wonder what it would be like if I had a chance to even try something normal with someone normal. Will I ever? If I don’t work for a year or two, will people forget about me?

The idea grips my stomach in a vice-like hold. I’m so used to my own publicity that normal scares me. Why am I even thinking about it? Normal is not for me. Not for the next few months, anyway.

“I hope to see you around.” He holds the door when we arrive at my floor.

I smile at him and rush outside.

I step into the sleek reception area. The counter is shiny white and unoccupied. Fuck. I hope he’s here, because yelling at him over the phone would be highly anticlimactic.

There is a corridor to my left and one to my right. Should I just walk around and call his name? I chuckle at the idea.

“Saar?” Roxy, holding several folders to her chest, appears.

I met her once, at Caleb’s Christmas vow renewal, and I liked her instantly. She’s a no-nonsense woman who puts her bosses in line without a worry in the world.

“Roxy, hi.”

She marches to me, frowning. “Do I want to know how you got up here?”