In Her Sights (The Thousand Words Series Book 2)

by Brooks, Tori

  Dev overrode the carrier’s ‘airport mode’ for GPS location and remembered why the program was illegal. Lindsay was en route. She must have just taken off, probably less than an hour ago, Dev realized. He’d have to wait another five hours or more for her to get to Seattle and turn her phone back on.

  “Scheiße,” he swore lightly. Dev rarely swore in English. He closed the program and locked it, then closed and locked the laptop.

  Going back upstairs, Dev sat on his bed and thought a moment. It was pointless to call her and leave a message other than she’d expect it. He had no idea what prompted this, but he’d play along.

  Dialing Lindsay’s phone, it went directly to voicemail and he closed his eyes and seethed as he listened to her happy little message.

  “Lin, I couldn’t help noticing you took off in the middle of the night. I’d like to talk about this. Call me, please,” Dev said and hung up thinking of things he should have said.

  Getting ready for class in record time, Dev realized it was going to be a long day. He texted his study group, told them he wasn’t on his game, and to take good notes, then he sat through each class and tried to ignore his phone.

  Returning home, it was a half hour after Lindsay should have landed. Dev checked his phone again, nothing. He called her, it rang before going to voicemail, meaning her phone was on and Lindsay chose not to answer.

  Dev sent her a message: I love you, talk to me.

  At a loss for what to do next, Dev called Bryan for support. He poured out his story, and completely failed to register Bryan’s advice.

  Two hours later, Lindsay hadn’t called, emailed, or texted him back and Dev was at a loss as to what to do about it. He had to talk to her. He called again, she sent him to voicemail. He sent her another message: Baby, answer your phone. Talk to me, please. Dev waited a minute, counting slowly to a hundred before calling again. Voicemail.

  “Scheiße.” Dev returned to his laptop on the table, ignored his homework, and traced the location of her phone. She was at Ruby’s house. Dev didn’t really want to talk to Lindsay with Ruby as a witness, although he’d take what he could get. He looked at her history to see how long she’d been there and was surprised to see she went to Ruby’s from his house.

  “What were you doing there?” Dev mused.

  Behind him, Frau Schmidt was busy in the kitchen and stopped at his question. Dev made a motion that he wasn’t talking to her and she returned to whatever she was doing.

  Dev considered his options, then went upstairs to pack. He was just getting ready to walk out the door when his phone rang.

  “Lin?” Dev answered, closing the door and slowly making his way into the living room.

  “Hi,” Lindsay said. Dev heard the stuffiness in her voice that meant she’d been crying and the tremble that indicated was on the verge of tears again.

  “Baby? You sound really upset –”

  “Listen, Dev, just ... don’t interrupt, okay? Just listen for a minute,” Lindsay pleaded.

  “Okay,” Dev agreed. For a minute, he thought. At least he’d find out what the hell was going on.

  “Dev, I’ll admit right up front that you were very patient dealing with my special little problem –”

  “Lin –”

  “Listen!”

  “Fine.”

  “You were very patient dealing with my little problem ... dealing with me being a nymphomaniac when you were ... not, up to and including Chicago a year ago when you re-examined everything you believed in just for me. I love you for that.

  “And you knew it was hard for me when you were away, but you never once asked if I slipped, you just supported me however you could.”

  Dev lowered himself onto the sofa, feeling the pressure build behind his eyes. He didn’t know where this was going yet, but it wasn’t anywhere good. Dev wanted more than anything in the world to stop Lindsay before she went any further.

  “And that unquestioning support is what makes this harder. Erika Atlas,” Lindsay said. Dev waited for the rest of the sentence, but Lindsay apparently felt that said enough.

  “Erika?”

  “Yes.”

  His mind raced, what about Erika? He emailed her that Lindsay was in Boston almost immediately after she showed up so Erika wouldn’t surprise him.

  “She’s not here. I think she’s in Malibu. Erika won’t interrupt my time with you, she knows better.”

  Lindsay laughed. “Does she?”

  Dev felt he was missing something. That usually seemed to be the case, he acknowledged. It was probably better to just ask.

  “Lin, there’s clearly an imbalance of information here. Can you fill me in so we can actually discuss what’s upsetting you?”

  “Sure, honey,” Lindsay said, although the bite in her tone didn’t agree with the sweet agreement of her words. Dev cringed and wished he could withdraw the request. He had the unpleasant feeling of understanding what Jess must feel like when he dealt with her.

  “While you’ve been a sweetheart when it comes to my past indiscretions, I’m having a hard time feeling the same way. I know how you feel about monogamy and love and intimacy and you wouldn’t just hop in bed with someone if you didn’t have profound feelings for them. Am I right?”

  “Um, yes?” Dev said. She couldn’t be thinking what it sounded like she was thinking. That didn’t make sense. When the hell would he have time to have an affair? He was shoehorning her into his schedule whenever he could. It took him a week of lost sleep to make up hours of homework and studying every time she dropped by for a weekend surprise.

  “That sounded weak.” Dev heard another voice in the background. Lindsay must still be at Ruby’s house.

  “Scheiße,” Dev muttered under his breath. He didn’t want witnesses to this. If she was going to accuse him of sleeping around, she could damn well stand on her own two feet. He was alone.

  “Dev!” Lindsay snapped. Dev forgot he taught her how to swear in German a few years ago to give her another way to irritate her mother. “You don’t swear around women, not even me. You turned every shade of pink there was when you taught me how to swear in German.”

  “I’m sorry, baby, I didn’t mean for you to hear that,” Dev said.

  “Still, maybe you’re changing. I couldn’t figure it out, but it’s the only thing that makes sense. And it’s my fault really.” Lindsay sniffled.

  “Lin, baby, don’t cry. I’ve got an idea what you think I’ve done, and you’re wrong. There’s only ever been you. I love you. It’s only you, Lindsay.”

  “That you love, sure. Maybe. You talk about the future and marriage and all that, then you go double-dipping with Erika. How’s that supposed to make me feel?”

  “Erika?” Dev asked.

  “And I know you’ll be faithful after we’re married. We’re not engaged, but we’ve had an understanding so I don’t think I’m out of line to be upset.”

  “Of course not, but Erika? I didn’t –”

  “I suppose I should have seen it coming. With the singles and the videos, she probably sees you more than I do now. And your fans expect you to be with someone like her. So now I’m booty call again.”

  “Lin, no,” Dev heard her starting to cry again and wished he was there.

  “Anyway, I left your car at your house and your keys with Sophie.”

  “Wait! What –” Dev started, but Lindsay continued as if she hadn’t heard him.

  “Try listening to Flynn every now and again. I know you don’t want to, you hate him and all that, but he knows his stuff even if you don’t like the source.

  “Stop listening to Jess at all. At least until he grows a pair and can commit. Willingly. He’s running away from his own mommy issues and blazing through women to do it, so you don’t want any advice that comes from him. Trust me on that one.

  “Anyway, I’m sorry. I thought about it. It’s not fair, I know it’s not. It’s a double standard. I get the irony, but ... I just can’t be with you if you’ve chang
ed so much that it’ll allow you to be with her.”

  “I’m not, Lin.”

  Lindsay sighed and Dev heard a faint beep as the call ended.

  ○ ○ ○

  Dev tried to call Lindsay back, but she sent him to voicemail so fast he knew his number was blocked. He could mask it, make her think he was someone else, but it’d only make her mad. Nevertheless, he filed the idea away for another time. For now, he returned to his computer, quietly hacked her phone, and unblocked text messages from his number. He didn’t send one yet, deciding it would be better to give her time to calm down. And get farther away from Ruby. He didn’t want to tip off Lindsay’s friends that he could hack her phone.

  Dev called Bryan and filled him in on the new development.

  Bryan sighed when Dev finished relating what Lindsay said. “At least now we know what you’re up against. Did she say why she thought you slept with Erika?”

  “No. Maybe because I spent time with her because of the singles and videos. Or that stupid pseudo-relationship Kenny came up with. I’m going to strangle him.”

  “I’ll warn him you’re gunning for him,” Bryan promised. “Actually, no, I won’t. I don’t think it’s a good idea to let Kenny and Jess know there’s a rift between you and Lindsay.”

  “Yeah, they’d throw a party and invite Erika to jump out of the cake. Then take pictures and throw them on the cover of some magazine.” Dev closed his laptop again and went upstairs to his bathroom looking for painkillers. The headache he had just took a giant leap at the thought of adding two of his best friends to his relationship problems. Somehow that seemed wrong.

  “That’s kind of what I was thinking. I’ll cover things up, if you don’t mind,” Bryan said.

  “Good luck with that. Lindsay dropped off my Ferrari at home earlier and gave the keys to Sophie.”

  “Great. Hold on.”

  Dev listened as Bryan put down his phone and spoke to Brenda. A few minutes later, Bryan came back on the line.

  “Covered, maybe. Bren’s picking up the car. With any luck, Jess and Kenny didn’t see it. If they did, the cover story is it needs something minor done to it and I’m handling it for you. Bren doesn’t have to know what, it’s technical and minor and she can pull that off. That’s the story we’re telling Sophie too. I’m kind of betting Lindsay didn’t tell Sophie anything when she passed off the keys. It’s not her style to tell Sophie before she tells you. We should be good.”

  “I sense a ‘but’ in there,” Dev said.

  “Flynn isn’t going to buy that in a million years,” Bryan said without hesitation.

  “Yeah, don’t sugar-coat it for me. Listen, I don’t care what Flynn thinks, it’s none of his business. He won’t say anything anyway. Who’s he going to tell? Gunter? He’s two.”

  “I’m surprised you know that,” Bryan said.

  “Cheap shot.”

  “He’s your brother and you see him a grand total of three weeks a year.”

  “I would argue four. Besides, it’s not like he cares.”

  “I told you before, babies grow up. Eventually Gunter’s going to notice. You’re setting a pattern and you need to break it.”

  “Enough. I have a more immediate concern. Focus, okay?”

  Dev waited while Bryan paused, he guessed it was his penalty time-out for not paying attention to the Gunter-issue. Dev didn’t care and accepted the reprimand. He needed Bryan’s wisdom, and afterward he’d call James, his local study partner and mentor. James hadn’t known Lindsay for as long or as well, but he still knew women in general.

  “I’ll see about sending Bren to talk to her,” Bryan said eventually. “They still do the occasional lunch date, manicures or whatever. For now I’d say long-distance gestures. Flowers and emails. Don’t crowd her but make her keep thinking of you. Encourage her to call you. Try to get her to see that you didn’t change. And no more photos of you and Erika.”

  “That’s a given,” Dev said. He hesitated and Bryan seemed to sense something was nagging at him.

  “What?”

  “Tell me Kenny couldn’t possibly have hoped for something like this when he suggested that stupid fake relationship thing. Or Jess.”

  Bryan sighed. “They didn’t get along with her, but I don’t think they’d go so far as to try to sabotage your relationship. If it went sideways, you’d never forgive them. The cost is too high and it’s likely you’d find out. Even Jess knows that. Stop jumping at shadows.”

  “You’re right,” he admitted.

  So Dev stayed at school and relied on James, his best friend there, to keep him sane. He sent flowers and wrote an email to address all her concerns, with James’s help. Then Dev waited and started to pace when, an hour later, he still hadn’t received a response. James set him firmly on the couch in front of the TV and handed him his first beer. Dev didn’t really care for it and it took him nearly an hour to finish it.

  They planned for James to sleep in the extra bedroom that night, and James took Dev’s mental health into consideration. He invited the rest of the study group over to distract Dev for the night, also with the hopes Dev would get some homework done.

  “How am I going to get anything done when I’m more concerned about getting a stupid email than reading the assignment?” Dev asked.

  “You’ve focused when stressed before,” James reminded him. “You’ve got things done while George and Krista have been hitting on you non-stop, remember?”

  “Hard to forget, it was last week.”

  “You’ve focused while Noah was glaring at you because George was hitting on you instead of paying the slightest bit of attention to him.”

  “Also last week,” Dev said. “George is going to be a pain when she finds out Lindsay broke up with me.”

  “And that is what you need to concentrate on, my friend. Not waiting for an email, not waiting for a phone call, not checking the time. It’s fine if the girls figure out something’s wrong, they just can’t know what,” James said.

  “Lovely,” Dev slumped down into his traditional chair at the dining room table. “I am screwed.”

  “No, you’ll be fine. You’re allowed to be upset. I let them know up front we’re doing this to distract you from problems at home, the key there being at home. They know not to ask, and they already know you and Flynn have a history so the assumption about what’s on your mind should be safe.”

  Dev laughed softly as he stared at the ceiling. Finally, there was a use for his stepfather. He was tempted to call and tell him. Almost.

  “Fine. So I have an excuse for being distracted –”

  “And we still have to keep you focused, I know. It’ll be a group effort. Don’t worry,” James assured him.

  By the time Kevin left with his doe-eyed twin and Noah pried Georgia from his house, Dev was surprised to find he managed to get caught up on his homework. James saw them out and turned back to Dev in satisfaction.

  “Well, I think that went well,” James said.

  “Better than I hoped. Except maybe for Noah and George. She’s never going to give up.”

  James smiled and shook his head. “What I wouldn’t give for Noah to figure that out.”

  “What does he see in her?” Dev asked.

  James laughed. “Dev, you have tunnel-vision. George has desirable qualities to someone not already in love with someone else.”

  “Sure, whatever. No word from Lindsay.”

  “She hasn’t let you sweat enough yet. Give it more time. When she figures you’ve suffered enough and you’re desperate enough, she’ll call. Then she’ll make you jump through some hoops. Just be patient,” James counseled.

  Dev nodded, but he didn’t feel right about it. James had several long-lasting relationships behind him, multiple shorter ones, not to mention countless casual encounters. Dev had to respect that experience. It just didn’t seem like Lindsay.

  “But –”

  “Women are women, Dev. Lindsay’s a bit different, but she’s st
ill a woman when you get right down to it. Let her behave as nature dictates. She already has.”

  He had to agree with that. His Lindsay wouldn’t make such a rash decision without discussing it with him.

  “Right. Wait it out,” Dev agreed.

  “Still make the gestures,” James hurried to add. “But yes, wait it out.”

  Chapter Eight

  Pacing in her room so no one could see her, Paige considered and dismissed one argument after another. She imagined how Kenny would react to each, then readjusted her plan. Glancing at the clock, she realized the endeavor had taken longer than she anticipated and he was due for dinner soon.

  Explaining that to her mother was a joy. Gladys Hart took Paige’s title seriously and didn’t want to see her jeopardize it. Having someone over occasionally was one thing, but Gladys saw Paige talking with Kenny too many times at parties and knew her daughter well enough to put the pieces together. Paige understood her mother’s suggestion that they slow it down until her term was over wasn’t really a suggestion, but knew what she was doing. And when she asked for privacy tonight, her mother didn’t say a word. Paige won. This round anyway.

  What were the odds she’d continue winning? Not if Preston had his way. He was bitter his plan to seek revenge against her wasn’t going better, largely due to Kenny. But Kenny couldn’t help with her mother.

  Paige shrugged the annoying family situation aside. She had to explain her decision to meet with Alastair alone, something she knew Kenny didn’t want her to do. And she not only made the decision, she already did it without telling him.

  The doorbell rang and she glanced at the time in a panic. It was too early to be Kenny, although not by much. Leaving the door for Jeeves, Paige sat at her desk and fastened the straps on her shoes. A knock on her door surprised her.

  “Come in,” she called.

  The door swung open and Jeeves stood in the doorway. He didn’t step in, he just glanced briefly back down the hall toward the stairs and entry way, before turning to her.