The apartment is only a short walk away. I need to keep his thoughts from wandering until we get there. Owen seems to change his mind quickly. His morals kick in—the difference between right and wrong, fantasy and reality. I know his heart is pure, but his soul is damaged. Anyone who's ever met him can tell that he hides inside his own head most of the time, trapped by something he won't talk about. His nightmares were not my first clue, more like confirmation.
Breaking our kiss, I push against his chest to find his breathing is labored, as if he's forgotten how to without my help. I feel the same way. Just one more kiss, that's all I need until we make it back to the apartment. One. More. Kiss.
"Bliss." The way Owen whispers my name, as if in need, makes my heart race. When I look up to meet his eyes, I know that I've interpreted his tone wrong.
"What? What's wrong, Owen?"
"There is so much that I need to tell you before that happens again."
I hear every word he says, but what I latch onto is the fact that he wants to kiss me again. How could I not? I want to kiss him again, too.
We walk back to the apartment hand in hand. No words pass between us. The conversation that we are going to have behind closed doors will be more than either of us is ready to handle. There are no words that can prepare me for what he's about to tell me.
Owen is finally going to share a piece of himself with me. Will this explain the nightmares? They seem to be happening more often these days. I listen to him screaming from my room. Last week, I thought I heard him scream my name. By the time I reached his door to listen closely, the nightmare was over. I heard him moving around his room and scurried back to mine so he wouldn't know I was listening.
"I need to grab my laptop to show you a few things," Owen says as he closes and locks the door behind us.
"Are you sure you want to do this right now?" I don't want to get into anything heavy. I've changed my mind. We don't need to know everything about each other. "I can think of a few things that would be a whole lot more fun." I raise one eyebrow in suggestion, but Owen's face remains flat, void of all emotion.
"I don't want to have this conversation any more than you do, but I want to be honest with you. If I don't tell you now, you may hold it against me later. It's hard enough I have to be the one to tell you this. Please don't make it any harder than it has to be, Bliss."
I still don't want to know whatever he's about to tell me, but I nod my head in acceptance before he turns and heads to his bedroom to retrieve his laptop. Opening the fridge, I pull out two beers, cracking one open for myself while I wait. I have a feeling I'm going to need a few more of these to get through the conversation we’re about to have. I hope it's worth it.
He's hot and sexy, and I want him more than I've wanted anyone else in a long time. He pushes buttons I didn't know people could push. He makes me want things I didn't think I would ever want. With him. Things that are far down the road, but that are hopefully part of our future.
There's a knock at the door just as the thought crosses my mind. I look through the peephole but don't recognize the person on the other side of the door. I call for Owen, letting him know that someone is at the door, but he doesn't answer. I hear water running as I hit the hallway. He must be in the shower again.
Keeping the chain in place, I open the door a crack. "Can I help you?"
There’s a guy I don’t recognize standing on the other side of the door. He's tall. Taller than Owen and more built, too. His face is covered in at least a day's worth of growth, and his hair needs a trim. The scar above his right eye is the last thing I notice. It makes him look intimidating, contradicting the warm smile he's giving me.
"You must be Bliss. My name is Jay. I'm a friend of Owen's. Is he here?"
How does he know my name? Owen’s never talked about him before. If he were an important part of his life, wouldn’t he have at least mentioned him?
"He's in the shower. Can you come back in a little bit?"
"Would it be alright with you if I waited out here until he's done?"
Why in the hell would he want to wait out here? How in the hell did he even get in the building? If he's one of Owen's friends, I can only imagine the skills he must possess.
"That's fine. I'll let him know you're here." I close the door quickly, his presence making me nervous. I couldn't stop staring at his scar, wondering what caused it.
Owen joins me in the living room ten minutes later. I'm on my second beer, still wondering about the scar, when his voice startles me.
"Sorry Bliss. What's got you so jumpy?" He tilts his head to the side, studying my face as if he'll be able to tell what's going on without me actually saying the words.
"You have a visitor." His brow wrinkles in confusion, so I continue. "There's a guy named Jay who claims to know you. He's waiting for you in the hall. You've never mentioned him before, so I didn't want to invite him in."
There's a look of surprise on Owen's face for a mere second before it turns to one of concern. He rushes toward the door, unlocking the deadbolt and removing the chain. I follow behind him as quickly as my feet will carry me. By the time I reach the door, Owen is closing it. The only evidence that Jay was even here is an envelope that Owen is now holding.
"Bliss, we need to table this conversation until tomorrow. I need to take care of something."
7
Owen
What the hell is Jay doing here? He knows better than to compromise himself by coming to me. He wouldn't do that for me. Not anymore. So why? Why is he delivering information to me? What is he delivering?
Giving Bliss the brush off, I snag my laptop off the couch where I left it and head back to my room. She'll understand once I explain all of this to her. At least, I hope she will. That’s if she's still talking to me by the time I figure all this shit out.
I slide my finger under the flap and rip the envelope open, spreading the contents across my bed. Pictures. A lot of them. Of me. Of Bliss. Of the Coopers. Time stamped as recently as yesterday. Someone is watching us, and I missed it. I've been so blindsided by my feelings for Bliss that I'm failing at my job. I'm not keeping her safe.
For the next few hours, I study each picture for clues as to where and when each was taken. From what angle? Who might have been around each time? Who was with us that's not in the picture? Nothing is conclusive. I take notes, analyze the photos, and rack my brain until my alarm goes off the next morning.
Bliss knocks on my door around eight to see if I want to go get breakfast, and I brush her off again. I don't want her leaving the apartment unless it's necessary right now. Not until I figure out who took these photos. That has to be my top priority.
Moments later, I hear the front door close and run to the living room to find it empty. Bliss' purse is missing from the counter where she tends to leave it, and her keys aren't hanging on the hook next to mine. She left without me. I throw on a pair of jeans and clean shirt as I dial her number. She sends me to voicemail, so I hang up, dial again, and wait.
She's pissed; that much is obvious.
I call Jay as I lock the door behind me and rush down the stairs. He picks up on the first ring. "I need for you to track Bliss' cell so I can find her. She took off."
"You know, the point of being her bodyguard is to keep her safe. Letting her run around the city alone is the opposite of that." For the first time in a long time, I hear the laughter hiding in Jay's voice. He knows I would never let Bliss out of my sight by choice.
"I didn't really want to go sightseeing this morning, but I changed my mind." I wait for him to shoot something sarcastic back, but nothing comes. I hear him tapping the keys on his keyboard, so I wait in silence. The moment is over. It felt like it used to for a minute. The only thing missing was Chelsea yelling at us to be nicer to each other. She never understood our humor.
"You're only a block behind her. If you keep heading straight, you should be able to catch up with her. Do you want me to stay on the phone with you until t
hen?"
"You're tracking me, too?" I ask, surprised. I shouldn’t be, considering his skill level, but I am. He’s probably been tracking me since I called and asked him for help.
"Well, I needed to know where you were so I could tell you how to find her, so yes. Is that a problem?"
"No. Sorry, man. I guess I didn't think about that. Thanks for your help. Is she on the move, or has she stopped?"
"She's still on the move. Any idea where she's headed?"
"She wanted to go get breakfast, and I blew her off." I shake my head as I say the words. I shouldn't have blown her off. She doesn't understand any of this yet. I need to explain myself to her. I need to tell her the truth about what's going on so she understands the severity of the situation.
"I'm guessing you were up all night staring at those pictures."
"Yeah. I can't make any sense of them. Nothing conclusive anyway. Where did you get them?"
"I've been tracking Cooper's email. He was sent those yesterday afternoon."
"Who sent them?"
"I'm still trying to back hack the user. If I find out, I'll let you know. She just stopped. You're about a block away still. Moving slowly this morning?"
Asshole. "A little. Thanks, Jay. Was there anything else in the email?" He doesn't answer right away, and that's a bad sign when it comes to Jay. "What is it?"
"I'm not sure yet. The email was written in code using the pictures to tell a story. I put them in order for you, the pictures, like they were in the email."
Shit! "I dumped them out. I didn't know. Can you send the order to me?"
"Some things never change. I numbered them on the back." Jay chuckles before coughing to cover it up. "You just passed her by the way. 500 feet behind you."
"Thanks again, man."
Jay hangs up without another word, the way he always has. I turn around and walk back to find Bliss. Through the window of the coffee shop, I see her sitting alone at a table in the corner. She's holding her phone in her hands, staring at it as if she can't decide what to do next.
I dial her number and watch as she wrinkles her nose when her phone starts to ring. There's a look of hesitation on her face before she sends me to voicemail again. I start to dial her number when someone walks in front of her and blocks my view. I recognize him.
Trying to appear as natural as possible, I quickly move toward Bliss. A fake smile is plastered on my face as I nod to the guy behind the counter when I walk by. Then, I softly nudge Brian's shoulder as I slide into the chair across from Bliss. I make eye contact with her, and she frowns. She must have seen me knock into Brian.
"I didn't realize you had company. I didn't mean to interrupt," Brian stutters slightly, proving how nervous he is around me. He should be. I could break him in two if I thought he was a threat.
"I didn't realize I had company, either," Bliss says to him in an apologetic voice.
"You always have company, Bliss." I shouldn't be taunting her. She's already upset with me. The look on her face right now is a clear sign that she'll be giving me a piece of her mind as soon as we're behind closed doors.
"I guess I'll see you later, then. Happy Thanksgiving, Bliss,” he says, his eyes focused on Bliss as he stands and moves away from the table.
"Thanks, Brian. You, too."
He moves along quickly, the bell ringing as the door closes behind him.
"Really, Owen?" Bliss chides.
"What?" I try to play innocent, but I know it will only buy me so much time.
"How in the hell did you find me?" Her voice is low, but there’s a storm raging inside her that her tone warns me about.
"I have my ways. You're not supposed to leave the apartment without me. What were you thinking? What if something happened to you?"
"I suppose that would be your fault, then." She turns her attention to her coffee, avoiding eye contact with me while she sips the steaming cup.
We will have to talk about this later. I'm going to have to share information with her. It's the only way to get her to understand that she's in danger. It's probably the only way to keep her safe at this point. I need for her to trust me but I'm pretty sure I've broken her trust. Again.
None of this would have happened if I hadn't crossed the line with her to begin with. I should have kept my distance. I shouldn't have let her in. My heart wants to love her. My mind wants to keep her safe. The only way to do both is to let her go. For now.
Bliss
How he found me, I have no idea. I will find out, though. I was hoping for a little space from him right now. I see him every waking minute of every day, and I can't shake the feelings that are growing. The anger is there, too. It's overshadowing everything else right now.
"You're an asshole, you know that?" I don't hold back. If he thinks he's going to treat me like crap and get away with it, he's got another thing coming.
"I can be. Did you forget that I was hired to protect you? That you aren't supposed to be roaming the city alone? I think your dad would have something to say about it if he knew you took off like you did." His voice is calm, too calm.
"Go ahead and tell him. See if I care."
He doesn't respond. There is so much more that I want to say, but I know better than to cause a scene in public. That would make Daddy angrier than me taking off this morning.
Breakfast is tense. Owen makes me switch seats with him so that he has a better view of the coffee shop. He watches people come and go as I watch him while we wait for our food to arrive. He looks tired. Even the mornings after I've heard his nightmares wake him, he hasn't looked this worn out. Am I that much of a pain in the ass?
I pick at my food, and so does Owen. Neither of us consumes much before he pays the check and we head back to the apartment. I can't stand the silence any longer.
"You know, it's not like I was roaming around the city. Is it a crime to want to get out alone once in a while? I didn't even leave the zip code."
I’m met with silence, and it speaks volumes. I know something is going on. I wish he would tell me. Who was the guy at the door? Why did he disappear into his room? What is he hiding from me? Why is he hiding anything from me?
I let it go. I don't want to, but if I've learned one thing about Mr. Hudson, it's the fact that he's not going to tell me anything that he doesn't want to tell me. Not until he's ready to share. I will get answers but not right now. Right now, Owen's face is a brick wall. He's not budging.
My plan is to head straight to my room the second we cross the threshold of the apartment. I make it two steps into the hall before Owen grabs hold of my arm, stopping me dead in my tracks.
"We need to talk."
"About what? We started a conversation last night. Are we going to finish that one, or is there something else you want to share with me?"
"Both," he replies as he releases my arm and turns back toward the living room. My body follows his as if there is a string that is tied to him, pulling me along.
I take a seat at the opposite end of the couch and wait for him to begin. I can see him thinking hard about something. I put my game face on, ready to battle. The vibe I'm getting from him is concerning. I'm not going to like what he has to say.
"The man that came to the door last night…you need to forget that you saw him. He's an old friend, and I asked him to look into something for me. I promised I would keep him out of this."
"Fine. No one was here. What is he helping you with exactly? He seemed to know who I am. How is that possible? You and I just met." I don't really care that he knows who I am, I just want to keep Owen talking.
"I had him look into your dad for me. I needed to know why I was here, and he wasn't giving me any answers. Jay is good at what he does. He flies under the radar and gets information no one else can. I don't know how he does it exactly, and I don't want to."
"What was in the envelope, then?"
A hesitant smile crosses Owen's face before he excuses himself. I wait patiently as he returns with the envelope and
a stack of pictures on top of it.
"What are those?"
"Pictures. Someone has been following you and your family. They are dated as recently as yesterday." He hands me a picture with a date from last week on it. Avery and I are in the library. We must have been studying for midterms that day. You can see Owen in the background, watching me like a hawk. He should have been watching for whoever took this picture.
"Any idea who took the picture?" I ask, turning the picture over to find a number written in red sharpie on the back. Seventeen.
"Not a clue."
"What's the number all about?"
"I have to put them in order."
"Why?"
"That's the order they were sent to your dad in. We think they might tell a story. The email was written in code, and Jay's still working on cracking the code and back hacking the sender."
"He can do that?" I can't hide the surprise in my voice. Owen closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
"He's that good."
Taking the stack of pictures from him, I spread them out on the floor, face down, and put them in order starting with number one. There are twenty pictures total. Once I have them organized, I look to Owen for permission to begin flipping them over. He nods, and one at a time, I begin flipping them over, studying each one for a few minutes before moving on to the next.
The first thing I notice is that they're not in order of the date they were taken. There are pictures of me from over the summer and some from this fall at school. There are a few pictures of my father leaving his office. There's even one of my mom at the grocery store with a cart full of groceries. She’s talking on her phone, picking out apples, oblivious about her picture being taken.
"What do these pictures tell you?" I ask Owen after I examined each one.
"It's someone that you either know or someone that blends in well enough that you would never notice them. Both are a good possibility." I watch him as he continues to study the pictures. His eyes dart from photo to photo, studying one for a second before moving on to the next.
Saving Bliss Page 7
