I park my car across from the bookstore. I sigh as I turn off the ignition and pull out the key then step out of the car. I’m already walking away as I press a button on my key fob to lock the car.

I hope she likes the present that I have in my hand. I’ve given up trying to avoid calling her and just decided to come down here to surprise her.

I get to the bookstore and pause outside as I hear Elia’s laughter from inside. I push the door open and walk inside. She’s standing beside her coworker next to a bookshelf. Her laughter dies when I walk in, and she looks up to see me.

I almost feel bad, wanting to hear her laugh some more, but then she smiles at me, and I can’t help smiling back.

“Hey, Eric,” she says in greeting, then freezes almost immediately, a blush covering her cheeks as she glances at the woman beside her. “It’s been a while.” Elia smiles as if she’s telling me off for keeping away.

I want to tell her that it’s been four days and ten hours. But hey, I wasn’t counting. Not really.

“What are you doing here? If it’s Ryan that you’re…”

“I came to see you. I got you something.”

I shove the box in her hand, and the dark-haired girl that she was laughing with moves away from us. Elia’s eyes dart from the box to mine as if she’s in shock.

“Another present?”

I nod, confirming that it’s for her and she needs to open it.

“It’s an iPad. I bought it because I know that you love to read. Sure, you have a Kindle, but the graphics aren’t great, and an iPad has a lot more functionality than a Kindle.” I'm losing my patience with her not opening the gift as her eyes shift from the box to me. I don’t want to have fucked up like last time.

“This is too expensive.” Elia says but the rise in her voice tells me she is flattered. “The phone was expensive enough, but this too? You’re really spoiling me.”

Mmm, something about the idea of spoiling her makes me want to pull her close to me now and press little kisses down from her lips to her collarbones.

I find myself, pulling away from all my random thoughts, and look into her eyes.“I know,” I cut her off with a casual shrug, sliding my hands into my pockets.

“You didn’t have to.”

“I know. I wanted to, though.” We stand staring at each other, neither of us speaking a word. I clear my throat and think about her actually opening the box and seeing what’s inside it. “Well, I’ll leave you two to get acquainted. I think I’ll check out the books for a while. I might end up buying something again.”

I hear a door open and close, and I assume it’s the manager’s room. I hear steps cross the room, but I don’t really want to see him. Unless he’s realized I slipped into another aisle, I’m going to keep away from him for today. After all, I’m not here for business.

“Elia, where are you?”

“Over here, Ryan,” she calls softly.

I realize she’s just on the other side of the shelf to my back. I move further through the aisles even though I feel silly eavesdropping on their conversation, especially when I’ve got my PI, Will, on the case. I haven’t heard from him because there’s nothing to report, yet, but I can’t help but listen.

Yet, curiosity gets the better of me as I stand and listen to what he has to say to her.

“Why didn't you come to see me in the back?”

“Because I thought you were working. I didn’t want to disturb you.”

I think that she’s lying. She sounds quite nervous, maybe because she knows that I’m in the store. I don’t know...something about Ryan, who I am pretty sure is a total creep, and Elia lying to him...it puts me on alert.

I can’t see above the books on the shelf at my eye level, so I move a few books around for a clearer view. Shit, maybe I should just leave this detective stuff to Will. I’m out of my league, but despite my amateurish, stalkerish tendencies I feel compelled to keep spying on them.

“Wow, where did you get one of those? I must be paying you too much,” he chuckles as he reaches for the iPad. She must have put the box somewhere because I don’t see it in her hand anymore.

That’s a hell of a thing for Ryan to say when I know he pays her peanuts compared to the other employees.

“No. It’s a gift,” Elia says quickly, and I can tell that she’s nervous because the closer he gets, the more she backs away. He’s now rubbing his hand over his bald head, and I wonder if he has something much dirtier in mind based on that look in his eyes. The way he’s looking at her totally fucking disgusts me.

“From whom? You have no family here, and I don’t think any of your friends could afford it. So, who bought you a new iPad?”

Why the fuck is she not telling him that it’s none of his business? Why is he talking to her this way.

“Eric Vanderville. He bought it,” tears well in her eyes as she tries to move away from him.

“So, you did go out with him,” he accuses, his tone rigid and angry. I bet you did more than just go out. I bet…”

I don’t even wait for him to finish. I move around the shelf and out of nowhere, Ryan screams out, “What the fuck!”

I rage toward him like a bull. He's too fucking close to her and then he had his greasy hands working their way to her. It was clear what he was going to do.

My heart beats out of control as my fist becomes one with his face. I didn’t want to stop there, I'm a mask of fury. But as he falls on the floor and rolls over protecting his face, Elia screams, “Eric, stop. Please!”