by Stella Rhys
Lukas glanced up at me. “You’re right, I haven’t.”
Foolishly, I waited for him to say something more, maybe continue his sentence. But he gave me nothing. All I got was that brisk reminder of the wall between us. I tried my luck. Rolling my eyes, I got off the couch.
“Right,” I said, bringing my cup to the sink. “Anyway, I should probably get started on my day.”
Lukas watched me walk across the room. “You’re upset with me,” he said.
“No, I’m not,” I lied breezily. Returning to the couch, I slid my feet into my slippers. I wanted to admit that I was at least irked but getting into a fight was what couples did, and we weren’t that, so I put on a smile that convinced us both that things were fine. “I’m just thinking about all the stuff I need to get done today,” I said, straightening his perfectly straight tie. Touching him generally helped me forget whatever was plaguing my mind. Within a few seconds of my hands on his chest and his cupping my cheeks, I was actually fine again. At least I felt that way.
“Hey,” Lukas murmured, his thumbs stroking my jaw.
I smiled. “Yes?”
“If you find yourself needing a break from work, you should swing by my office,” he said to my surprise. “It’s about to be a long week for me. I could use as much of you as I can get.”
I swallowed, having known from Julian that it was about to be a rough week for him. I just wished I knew why and I was less than a second from asking but Lukas unknowingly silenced me, leaning in to give me a last kiss before work. He let his hands slide into my hair and the way he gently tugged on my locks told me that he already missed me. That he didn’t want to go.
But that was just it.
His touch said one thing and his words said another. As much as I told myself I didn’t care, it was starting to eat at me and since I could feel it actually hurting my heart, I knew.
I’d officially gotten attached.
20
LUKAS
“You? Here on a Saturday?” I got a belly laugh from Jack, the weekend desk guy at Hoult Tower who Julian nicknamed Creepy Uncle. “You must have another lady friend up there,” Jack winked.
“Actually, no,” I said. The last time he’d seen me, it was late and I was coming from a bar. The girl on my arm was already unzipping her dress so it was safe to say Jack made assumptions. Probably the right ones, too.
“So, you’re telling me you got real business to do?” Jack asked skeptically. “Seventy-five degrees on a Saturday, all the pretty girls in little skirts by the piers and Lukas Hendricks is working?”
“Believe it or not, yes. I played hooky the other day so I have to make up for it now.”
“Well, I hope you did something fun ‘cause it’s not worth it otherwise. Not on a perfect day like this!”
“Trust me, it was worth it,” I smirked, heading for the elevators.
“Well, she must’ve been a very special lady!” Jack called after me.
“Very,” I called back, grinning when I heard his belly laugh again, echoing with my footsteps in the empty marble lobby. Hoult Tower was usually busy every day of the week, Saturdays and Sundays included. But it was oddly empty today. Forty-six floors in the building and it honestly felt like Jack and I were the only souls inside.
Though in all likelihood, there was at least one other poor bastard in the building. Riding the elevator up the quiet floors, I sent him a text.
ME: You here?
The response shot back fast.
JULIAN: If by here you mean the office then yes.
ME: You’ll be proud to know that I too am working on the weekend
JULIAN: I’ll believe it when I see it.
I snorted, slipping my phone back into my pocket as the doors opened onto my floor. The walk toward the glass doors was eerie without the lights on. Thankfully, I kept a few lights on in the office at all times but still, something felt off as I walked toward the doors.
Pressing my key card against the lock, I pushed through and immediately heard the sound of scurrying feet. I frowned when I saw who’d just run to reception from the back.
“Noelle. What’s going on?” I asked. It wasn’t uncommon for her to work on weekends but today she looked uncharacteristically haphazard, in just a ragged T-shirt, cotton shorts and flip-flops. It was alarming, if only because she was usually so proud about looking and dressing a certain way at the office. I’d seen the woman go through entire boxes of Band-Aids just to avoid taking off a pair of painful heels.
My concern jumped up a notch as she stood staring at me, tears starting to well in her eyes.
“Noelle?” I stepped toward her but before I could ask again what was wrong, I saw another figure appear from the back of the dark office.
I went numb the second I recognized Cam. Like a light, the emotion in my eyes flicked off and my stare went blank as he walked in front of Noelle to give me an easy grin.
“Working on a Saturday, dude?” he asked incredulously. I ignored him to look at Noelle.
“How’d he get you to do this?” I asked. For all the issues between us, I still knew with certainty that Noelle wouldn’t betray me out of bitterness. Not with Cam. Her mouth trembled open and she stuttered the start of several sentences before I held a hand up gently. “It’s okay. Come here,” I said, eyes still on Cam as I held my hand out to get her the hell away from him. The second she touched me, I heard her burst into tears and whisper “sorry” but now that I had her shielded behind me, my attention was a hundred percent on him. “What do you want? There’s nothing for you to take here. You want a computer? Take one. Take two.”
“Fuck off, Hendricks,” Cam spat, tugging on the collar of his blue button-down. “I was just here to… look around for something I dropped awhile ago,” he laughed since we both knew he was lying. “But since I have you here now, I should tell you straight up that I’m going to ruin your life if you don’t legally void the contract. I will,” he nodded earnestly. “You seem to forget who gave you your connections in the first place. You forget the fact that my family is royalty in the world of pro sports. I mean it when I say I’m going to bring this company to its fucking knees by the end of the year and while that’s happening, you should know that I’ll be keeping a close eye on you. Anything you do, anything you say. I can smear your reputation fast.”
“Can you?” I wasn’t even faking my boredom. “Well, I look forward to seeing you try.”
“Hey. We all know you’ve slept with your fair share of women. Had to have been someone barely legal in there,” Cam smirked.
“Do your best,” I ground out as I took my phone out to call the cops. “But you won’t put a single dent in this company. It’s been here too long and in case you don’t realize, no one’s trusted you for years. You never did anything on the business end, so why would they? My network outgrew yours a long time ago, Cam, and I know you know that,” I said calmly, putting the phone to my ear. “If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be so fucking insecure as to try and get to me through Tess,” I muttered just as someone picked up. “Hi, I’d like to report a break-in on the thirty-first floor of Hoult Tower. The address is seven twenty-one – ”
I cut off to shove Cam away from me. With a handful of his shirt, I held him away from my body as he swiped again at my phone. Were I not so pissed off I’d have laughed in his face. He had nothing on me. In size or smarts. It had been like that from the start but throughout college, Cam didn’t care. After all, I was poor, the son of addicts. He was from money, the eldest child of a notable family. He was used to having so much more than me, to being my savior and looking comfortably down on me. I should have known things would change when I started out-earning him, in regards to both money and respect. He had always been the type to feel easily threatened.
Just not by me.
“They’re on their way,” I said to Noelle when I hung up the phone. With a shove, I released Cam and stared at him. “You’re free to walk out now if you want. Either that or stay and wal
k out in handcuffs. You choose.”
“I know everyone at every precinct, asshole,” Cam hissed. “They’ll literally drive me to the station, say sorry and let me go.”
“Whatever gets you out of my office,” I said with a carefree shrug I knew would piss him off. Like clockwork, he started to lose it. I knew the look he got when he had nothing left in his arsenal – it was a stupid, bug-eyed face. “Go for it, Cam. Let’s hear whatever low blow you’ve got for me now. Talk about Wyatt all you want. I don’t care. Just get it out.”
“I don’t give a shit about Wyatt. What can he possibly do for me now?” Cam sneered, snorting when my lip curled. “Honestly, I’d just like to know more about the pretty thing I saw you with at Tessie’s apartment,” he said, breaking into a big grin when he saw me take pause. “Don’t flatter yourself, I wasn’t following you. Just thought I’d drop off a note for when Tess got back and what do you know, you’re walking down the stairs looking awfully fucking cute with some chick. Serious question – since when did you hold hands and all that mushy shit?” Cam asked. “I mean that shit normally makes me sick but she did have a hell of a fucking rack on her.”
“Watch it.”
“Oh, I was watching it. Every last bounce of those big tits down to the very last step,” Cam taunted, giving a curious frown. “You know, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen that tight body before. That’s little Tessie’s neighbor right? The one who lives on the second – ”
Noelle’s yelp pierced my ear as I grabbed Cam by the throat. “I don’t feel like doing this dance again,” I said, watching his stupid face smile despite going blood red in seconds. “You got me once with Tess but you’re not going to get me again. You try again and I’ll kill you this time. How’s that?”
“Peachy.” He tried to laugh – his go-to defense mechanism – but his lips struggled to move.
“Lukas!” Noelle whispered warningly. I meant to let go but I only locked my grip tighter, going numb again. I felt his Adam’s apple trembling under my palm and his face was getting to a reddish-purple I’d never seen on a person before but I didn’t budge till I felt a grip on the back of my suit – one too strong to be Noelle’s.
“Enough,” Julian growled, yanking me back till I let go of Cam and watched him fall to a knee. “Are you fucking stupid? I said don’t give him anything to work with. Did I not?” Julian hissed under his breath before releasing me with a shove. “I got this. Take a breather in your office and take Noelle with you.”
I forced myself to go. The last time I felt this rage was when I found out about the shit Cam put Tess through and as willing as I was to put Cam in the ER again, I knew I wouldn’t get lucky twice and avoid jail again. So with a hand on Noelle’s back, I guided her into my office.
When I sat her down on my couch, she hugged her knees to her chest.
“How did he – ”
“He has pictures of me,” she muttered before I could finish my question. “I never fucked him or anything. He just has pictures from nights that he came to hang out with me and Tess. Back in Philly. We were eighteen, you were busy with summer classes and he bought us beer. I was young and stupid and drunk and I let him take pictures of me that I don’t want the world to see now. So I let him in the office the past two weekends. But only because I knew he wouldn’t find any dirt on you. You have no dirt to find.” She looked up at me with wet eyes. “On the outside, you’re perfect. All your dirt’s hidden inside you.”
I swallowed, hating that I understood what she meant. “I’m sorry he did this to you, Noelle.”
“Yeah,” she said softly. “You should be because it’s on you.”
I furrowed my brow. “Okay.”
“You don’t have to believe me, but it’s true. Look at how many lives you’ve ruined, Lukas.”
I looked up at her. “You’re going to do this to me right now?”
She ignored me. “Are you ever going to love me the way I love you?” she asked. She gave me several moments to answer but when I didn’t, she shook her head, laughing despite the tears that rolled down her cheeks. “Should’ve known,” she muttered tiredly to herself. “Anyone dumb enough to love or trust you gets burned. Wyatt. Tess. Stupid me for letting you poison my head with the same bullshit hope you gave them. I thought you were going to make my life better but you only made it worse. You fucked them up, you fucked me up and I hope you fuck up that stupid slut you’re with now, too.” She hugged her arms around herself as she got up off the couch. “I’m leaving before the police get here,” she sniffled before turning to face me. “And I quit, so have a nice life. I doubt you will with all the skeletons hanging all over you but you can always keep trying,” she said, leaving just a few minutes before the police arrived.
21
LIA
I was floating on a cloud, practically skipping up the stairs of the townhouse as I returned from checking out a gorgeous commercial kitchen on Ninth Avenue. According to Elaine, she had “definite interest” in distribution from a friend who owned a "fairly large gourmet grocery.”
“Whether or not she confirms, I definitely have interest from stores across the five boroughs who would love to carry your product,” she had said on the phone, “so until you find the perfect lease for your store, start looking for commercial kitchen space. Because you’re about to have orders to fill, darlin’. Better get working STAT.”
Adrenaline was still surging through me as I got into my apartment.
It felt like I was finally starting to gain real traction on this business and I could hardly contain my excitement. I was so over the moon that when my phone rang with a call, I didn’t even look before answering with a bright and chipper, “Hello!”
“Lia?”
I stopped in the middle of the stairwell. “Dad?”
“Yes, hello.”
“Oh. Hey!” I said, my lingering brightness effectively masking my surprise. “Um… what’s up?”
“The usual, which is not a whole lot,” he said with what I hoped was content. I couldn’t tell. My father always had what Ritchie would call “old man voice.” It was just kind of a scratchy monotone. I liked to think it would be hard for me to read even if I did know him better.
“So…” I stared at the wall, hearing him lean back in his usual chair, an ugly plaid thing that sat in the corner of his room at Uncle Ted’s house. “What are you doing, Dad?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I was just sitting here. I was thinking about you and I don’t usually call when I do because I know you’re busy. But I went ahead today because I had a feeling you’d pick up as happy as you did just now. Because of all the good stuff happening for you lately.”
A smile spread across my lips as I sat right down on the steps. “Yeah. I actually just came back from looking at commercial kitchens to rent. So I can make bigger batches.”
“To sell more?” he asked with as much excitement as his voice could ever muster.
“Yep. I might have a distribution deal with some big grocery store my investor won’t tell me about yet.”
“Wow. Very fancy,” Dad said with a small laugh. Then it was silent for several seconds and I let myself get paranoid that I’d said something wrong or done something to offend him.
“So, what are you up to?” I asked to break the silence.
“You already asked me that. I’m just sitting here,” Dad replied. I couldn’t read his tone. “Well. I guess I was also calling to tell you I might have done something to upset you. I saw Ritchie at the store the day you told me about your investment deal, and I told him about it. I was excited and I didn’t consider that maybe you didn’t want him to know. It’s kind of been weighing on me, so… I’m sorry about that, Lia. I wasn’t thinking.”
My heart melted. “Dad. Really?” I covered my face with my hand and gave a little giggle. “You let that bother you for so long? I’m happy you were so proud of me you couldn’t contain it. Not even to my ex who you don’t even like.”
His laugh crackled into
the phone. “Okay then. I’m glad you’re not angry.”
“I’m not.”
“Good. I’m glad,” he said again. Normally, the repetition in our conversations depressed me and made me feel like we were two strangers. But not today. Maybe I was just happy but the conversation we were having felt like the best one we’d had in years. “Anyway, Lia, I’ll let you go. I know you’re busy. I hope I can find the energy to make a visit soon and see you.”
“Or I can come up to Warren,” I blurted, remembering what Ritchie said about the box his mom left me.
“Oh.” Dad sounded stunned. “That would be great. I just thought you said you were afraid of seeing people.”
“Yeah, but… things change,” I laughed. “I’m not scared anymore. All I’m scared of these days is paperwork and filling orders.”
“That’s not too bad,” Dad offered.
“No, it’s not. So maybe I’ll come see you. Maybe even tomorrow. I’ll catch a bus and take advantage of the rest of this weekend since it’ll probably be the last non-swamped weekend I’m gonna have in awhile.”
“I think that would be nice! I would love that.”
I grinned wide at the genuine enthusiasm I heard in my dad’s voice. After another minute of conversation, we hung up awkwardly as usual, but with laughter in our voices so I considered it very much a win.
I was still sitting with a smile on my face when the front door of the townhouse swung open. I sat up straight on the steps, getting ready for some snark in case it was Rachel. But it wasn’t.
It was Lukas and I knew the second I laid eyes on him that something was wrong.
“Hey,” I frowned, standing up. Light and breezy a second before, my heart felt suddenly heavy as Lukas walked straight into my arms.
“Tired,” he muttered.
“And?” Standing a step above him, I hugged his head to my chest. “I can tell something’s wrong, Lukas. Can you tell me what?” I asked. He heaved a sigh.
