Page 93 of Falling for Them

My keyboard beckons from the corner of the room.

But I’m never going to sing again.

Twenty-Four

Kingston

I’m in the office because I don’t know what the hell else to do.Bash and I are planning on going to the pub Ella works at in the evenings.But it’s killing me to wait.

My phone rings and I snatch it up.Jaxon Marselflashes on the screen.It takes me a minute to recall the name, then I remember meeting him and his business partner and a young woman at the gala.We exchanged numbers before I left that night.

“This is Kingston,” I say.

“Hey.Jaxon Marsel here.We met at your gala.”

“Yes, I remember.What can I do for you?”

“Actually…this is fucking weird, so I’m just going to say it.”

Intrigued, I say, “Okay, go on.”

“Your friend left with a young woman that night, and you left shortly after.”He clears his throat.“You can tell me to mind my own damn business, and I probably should, but—”

“If you know something about the woman, I need to know,” I interrupt.

“Is she in some kind of trouble?”he asks.“Do I need to worry about her safety?”

“Fuck, no.She’s not in trouble with me.At least not the kind she won’t enjoy,” I mutter to myself.

He laughs.“She works in my building.Ryder and I saw her the other day, and she looked really unhappy.Same thing happened this morning—she’s here now.We didn’t approach her, but it’s been bothering us.Our fiancee, Olivia, wanted me to call you.So, here I am.”

Iknewthey had to be a throuple.But the satisfaction of my rewarded nosiness is short-lived.“She works in your building,” I repeat.“I’ve been trying to track her down without full-out stalking her.”

“You’renotstalking her, are you?”

“Trying not to.But she keeps disappearing on us.Please.Where do you live?”

“Dorado Terrace.”

Ella

The Dorado Terrace hallways are largely empty at this time of day.Other than a group of three people—a woman with two men who walked through the lobby toward one of the private elevators—I’ve been alone.The midmorning sun angles through windows at the far ends of the hall.It doesn’t do anything to warm the building, but the AC is still cranked up as high as if it’s summer.I mean, I know San Esteban doesn’t get super cold in winter, but the building owners should relax on the AC.Goosebumps rise up on my arms every time I pass beneath one of the many vents generously pumping out chilly air.

Gail and Brent are working on different floors.I get floors one through six, Gail gets seven through twelve, and Brent the upper six.It’s so mindless and boring that I could scream, but it beats working anywhere near Joel Tyler.

After not sleeping at all last night, I’m a fun mix of tearfulness and rage.I’m angry at Joel, of course, for being a lying, cheating, deceptive asshole.And I’m angry at myself for trusting him.

Every time I think about it, I start vacuuming faster and harder.The end result is that I’m finished with work much earlier than normal.But I may as well stick around.I’m getting paid by the hour, after all.Today isn’t my usual day to mop the marble edges of the hallway, but I get the mop and fill a giant bucket with water and cleaning solution and set to work.

My back is to the elevator door, so I hear it chime when the doors open, rather than see it.Whoever steps out is silent on the thick carpet.My senses prickle with alarm, and I spin around.

Joel stands there, hands jammed into his pockets, his blue eyes intense as they rake over my body.More goosebumps form on my skin, but these aren’t from being near an air conditioning vent—they’re from being in such close proximity to a total snake.

“What do you want?”I ask, propping the mop against the wall.

“Just wanted to say hi.”His voice is casual.Almost friendly.

“What the fuck?”I say.