CHAPTER FIFTEEN
We stopped for coffee between the Entertainment Community and Main. I explained to my mom and Jenna briefly about Tracy and how she worked for Mark, and they didn’t ask anything more. Either because knowing that was enough of an explanation for them, or because they wanted to enjoy the day as much as I did.
But I couldn’t get Tracy’s words out of my head. Travis told me everything. How you used to be together. How he broke up with you and you couldn’t take it.
Mark was lying to her.
My mom was making a comment about the trams and how they’d be suitable for older tenants further down the road, and I let my gaze wander.
Shane was still with us, hovering to the side of the kiosk where Jenna and Finn waited for coffee. His gaze met mine briefly. He gave a nod and continued his lookout.
My mom was still chattering when Finn and Jenna returned. And I was still watching the paths, trying to figure out a puzzle that wasn’t making sense.
What was Mark doing? Was this a plan? Was it some way to get back into my life or was he starting over somehow?
“Charlotte,” Finn said quietly, hand closing over my elbow.
My gaze snapped to his.
He smiled at me. “Why don’t you see if Paige wants to join us for lunch?”
I blinked at him, and then at my mom and Jenna, who were staring at me as if waiting for an answer to something.
“Uh…Sure.” I nodded. “Great.”
“We’ll find a table,” Jenna said.
I took Finn’s advice and pulled out my phone. It gave me a moment to take a breath and refocus. I sent off the text as Finn joined me again.
“Are you okay?” He stepped close enough to wrap his arms around my waist. “Did you see something?”
“No.” I smiled. “It’s nothing.”
“The whole truth.”
I smiled again. “Really. I was thinking. I…what the hell is Mark doing? He told her I wouldn’t leave him alone.”
Finn winced. “I heard that. But we know that’s not the case. He’s just trying to turn her against you.”
“But it’s my word against his. She believes him, Finn, enough to confront us—”
“Doesn’t make it true.”
“It doesn’t matter. What if she goes to the police or something? What if—”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Finn said quietly. He leaned in so his lips brushed my ear. “You’re supposed to be enjoying yourself. You don’t need to worry about it.”
“I’m worried because I don’t know what he’s up to.” But then a thought occurred to me. “John would tell them, right? If Mark tried to get Tracy to say anything against me, John would—”
I stopped talking the minute I saw Finn’s face. His jaw was tight, eyes narrowed in frustration. I hadn’t noticed until then how his fingers had clenched on my waist.
Leaning against him, I said, “I’m sorry. Finn, really. I won’t talk about this anymore.”
He released a long breath and his hands relaxed. I felt him touch my hair and chided myself for letting my thoughts run away with me. For dragging Finn into it.
“Coffee,” I said, pulling back. “And then lunch.”
Paige returned my text, saying she’d meet us at the restaurant in Housing, and I forced my mind away from Tracy.
Mom walked alongside me when we returned to the paths, insisting we stroll through the Commons instead of taking the tram even though her arthritis was acting up.
She linked her arm through mine and sent me a smile that was genuine happiness. “He really loves you.”
I glanced over. “What?”
“Finn.” She smiled. “He hardly takes his eyes off of you, he touches you all the time. He wants to make sure you’re safe. I’m…” Her voice thickened with emotion. “I’m really happy you’ve found that. And it makes me feel better about all that’s gone on.”
Behind us, Jenna and Finn walked together. He continued to point out features around the dome of the Commons and she nodded along, commenting here and there.
“He wants us to get married soon,” I told her.
“Like how soon?”
I laughed. “As soon as I’ll say yes.”
“And what do you think?”
I sighed, steering her around a bench. “I think…it’s crazy. It’s so fast and I haven’t really had time to think at all.”
“You’ve got a lot on your mind.”
“I do. And I can’t seem to get around it.”
“You should get a massage,” Mom said, matter-of-factly.
I laughed. “Why’s that?”
“Makes you relax, lets you focus. If you didn’t have all this”—she waved her hand—“outside noise, then what would you think? Would you want a fast wedding or to take your time? Would you jump into it or what? You’d be able to see around circumstances and just, you know, think with your heart.”
“Smart,” I said.
She grinned. “Yeah, I’ve got a little experience under my belt.”
We rounded the security station and the Housing building came into view. “But what about you?”
“What about me?”
“Do you want a big wedding? Do you want to help plan it or—”
“It’s not my wedding, honey.”
“Yes, but don’t you want—”
“Charlotte.” Her tone turned serious. “I think it’s about time you stopped worrying about everyone else and started thinking about yourself.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, when you were with Mark, you didn’t tell us what was going on because you were worried about us. And even when you broke up with him, we didn’t hear about it until later. You’re trying to take care of everyone else and make sure they’re okay, and it’s not always the best option.” Her voice softened, and she smiled at me. “You need to start letting people help you, and do what’s best for you. Even better, do what you want. What makes your heart happy.”
“Finn makes me happy,” I said.
Mom laughed. “I can see that. So, focus on that. And make your decision based on that.”
I stopped, turning to hug her. “You don’t know how much that helps.”
“Sometimes you have to give yourself permission to do what works for you.”
Swallowing, I nodded. “You’re right.”
Finn touched my back. “Everything okay?”
I took his hand. “Yes. Everything is great. I’m hungry.”
“Good.”
We were seated in the restaurant right away, and the waiter addressed Finn like he knew him personally. Everyone around here probably knew who he was, and they gave us special treatment because of it.
Before our drinks arrived, I stood, waving everyone back down. “I’m going to check and see if Paige is here, that way she knows we’re on the patio.”
Finn glanced behind him and when he saw Shane had heard our conversation, he smiled. “Okay. We’ll wait for you to order.”
The truth was, I wanted a minute alone with Paige. I needed to get it out—my talk with my family last night, my talk with Finn this morning, and Tracy accosting me in the lobby.
Paige arrived only moments later in front of the restaurant.
“Cute shoes,” I told her.
She grinned. “Bought them yesterday. For a date.”
“With who?”
Her smile widened.
“Jake,” I said with laugh.
“Yes. But they’re going to kill my feet so I’m trying to break them in.”
“Good luck with that.”
She leaned in, giving me a brief hug. “You look tired.”
“I’m going to give you the quick version.”
“Okay.”
“Last night, I told my mom and sister and about Finn and the engagement, and they’re happy for me.”
“Good. You deserve to be happy.”
“And Finn wants to get married next week.”
“What?”
“And Tracy screamed at me in the lobby this morning because Mark told her I’m stalking him.”
“Holy shit.” Paige glanced at Shane, who was politely ignoring our conversation. “Are you serious?”
“I know. She’s either completely insane or completely brainwashed.” I swallowed and lowered my voice. “And I feel bad because I know what it’s like to believe Mark. He’s so suave, it’s hard to imagine he’s lying through his teeth. She’s got to be in love with him, or close.”
Paige pressed one hand to her cheek and rubbed. “This is insane.”
I nodded. “I know. They’re waiting for us on the patio.”
“You can give me the details later.”
“Trust me, I will.”
Tracy and I walked into the restaurant again, and a man on his way out bumped into my shoulder.
“Excuse me,” he murmured.
When I glanced up, my whole body froze, air stalling in my lungs.
Mark grinned at me. “Enjoy your lunch.”
Shane gripped my elbow, pulling me back. “Charlotte?”
But Mark was already walking away, stride easy and light like he hadn’t a care in the world.
“We can’t do anything,” I said.
Paige grabbed my other arm. “Are you okay? Was that…?”
I nodded. “He’s leaving. It’s fine. There’s nothing we can do.”
“But—” Paige glanced at Shane like she expected him to go after Mark. “Shouldn’t we—”
“No,” Shane said. “She’s right. Both of you get to the table. I’ll be out there in a minute.”
Taking Paige’s arm, I dragged her through the restaurant. “Don’t tell Finn.”
“But Charlotte, he was here. Don’t you think—”
“Please, Paige. We don’t have anything against him. If we do anything, it really will look like we’re the ones harassing him and then we’ll be in trouble. We might not be able to prove anything later.”
“So, we just let him walk away?”
I opened the patio door, forcing a smile to my lips. “Yes, we just let him walk away.”
“For now,” she mumbled.
“For now,” I echoed.
Finn rose as we neared the table, pulling out my chair. “Where’s Shane?”
I cast a silencing look at Paige. “Phone call. He’ll be out in a minute.”
Finn nodded and helped me into my chair. I took his hand and tried to ignore the anger simmering inside. Mark knew exactly what he was doing. With Tracy, with me, with the restaurant he was leasing.
It was only a matter of time before he made his next move. And in the meantime, he was enjoying watching me squirm.
Paige returned to the apartment with us after lunch and made friends with my sister right away. She didn’t say anything about Mark, and I appreciated it. I’d tell her all about Tracy and the rest later, but right now I didn’t want to worry Jenna and my mom with something I couldn’t do anything about.
I’d have to tell Curtis, though. And probably the detectives, too, so they knew what happened from my point of view.
When my mom found the magazines Leslie had left on the counter, she took the pile to the table and soon her, Jenna, and Paige were picking wedding dresses for me and got lost in making plans. I didn’t say anything about the cabin, but instead went to make coffee and watch as they ooh’ed and ahh’ed over flower girl dresses and locations.
Finn wandered out from the study where he’d been working and joined me in the kitchen.
“Uh oh,” he said, eyeing the table. “They’ve got wedding magazines.”
I smiled up at him. “I could just step back and let them take care of it all. We’ll have our wedding planned out by the end of the weekend.”
He wrapped his arm around my waist. “If it’ll save you stress, that sounds great. And as long as we can plan it for next week, I’m happy.”
Facing him and lowering my voice, I said, “Please don’t mention that to my mom. She’s already dealing with all the rest of this stuff—”
“And she looks like she’s handling it just fine. Your sister, too.”
“I just…I don’t know what the next step is. I don’t want to say anything yet.”
“They leave tomorrow, Charlotte.” Finn frowned. “Tell me if this isn’t what you want. I’ll stop bringing it up.”
Agitated, I scooped coffee grounds into the filter and slid it back into the machine. I flipped the switch to start brewing, glancing to the table when Jenna said something that made Paige and my mom laugh.
They were so happy. All of them. I wanted it to stay like this forever.
Finn leaned in, setting his hands on the counter on each side of me and trapping me against the cabinets. He lowered his head and whispered close to my ear. “I think you want to do the wedding soon, too, and it scares the hell out of you.”
I drew in a long, slow breath as his words jolted me. “Finn.”
“When you say my name like that, I hear what’s behind it.”
Looking up into his eyes, I said, “What’s behind it?”
“A thousand things you’re not telling me.” He touched his lips softly to mine. “All the things that scare you, and the hope, too. That maybe this could work out. You keep it all in, hold it close like a secret.”
My lips moved to form his name again, but instead of saying it, I felt my eyes swim with tears.
“You’re right,” I said quietly.
Finn wrapped his arms around me and I clung to him, burying my face in his shirt. He smelled warm and strong, like someone I could trust, but I still kept holding back.
“I didn’t mean to upset you,” Finn murmured in my ear.
“You didn’t.”
“You’re crying.”
“I’m not.” I squeezed my eyes shut to make the tears vanish. “I have something to tell you.”
He eased back. “What?”
The knock at the door made me jump. I broke away, my heart racing.
Finn squeezed my hand. “It’s probably Shane and Curtis.”
“Here to talk about Tracy?” I asked, guilt heavy in my voice because I hadn’t had the chance to tell Finn about Mark.
I started to the door with him, but he shook his head. “Wait here a minute. Just in case.”
Stopping at the edge of the kitchen, I cast a reassuring glance to my mom and the others. Finn was cautious when he opened the door, but his shoulders relaxed immediately.
My stomach still whirled with nerves when I saw Shane and Curtis even though I’d known they were coming.
Curtis nodded when he saw me. “Charlotte.” He glanced at Finn. “I know you have company, so we’ll be brief. Do you want to talk in another room?”
I reassured Jenna, my mom, and Paige again, and followed Finn into the study. He closed the lid of his laptop before perching against the desk. I kept my space by the door, nervous.
“Shane told me what happened in the lobby. I think it’s wise to keep your distance from Tracy. Can you tell me what she said exactly?”
Fidgeting, I relayed what Tracy had said, every hateful word. Finn’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t say anything.
Curtis only nodded like he heard this kind of thing all the time. “I’d recommend telling the detectives as well, so they know your side of the story.”
“Her side?” Finn asked, straightening. “Because you think there’s going to be another side?”
“I don’t know. But it’s smart to document everything so there’s no question or confusion in the future.” Curtis looked at me again. “I suggest you tell them about Mark, too.”
I winced. “Okay.”
Finn’s gaze caught mine, fire in the depths of it. “What about Mark?”
“It’s nothing,” I murmured. “I just—I ran into him when we were at the restaurant.”
“At the restaurant?” Finn glanced at Shane. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“He was leaving, I was going in,” I said quickly. “I think—no, I’m sure he was watching Tracy earlier, or came later because he just wanted to rile me. He knows exactly what he’s doing.”
“So you thought you’d keep it a secret?”
“I thought I’d tell you when we got back here so it didn’t cause a problem. Finn, he didn’t do anything.”
“How many times are you going to say that before you stop believing it’s true?” Finn asked, pushing away from the desk. He shoved a hand through his hair. “He’s watching you. He’s following you around. He came to Oasis for you. He shouldn’t be here, right?” he asked Curtis. “He doesn’t live in Oasis, does he?”
Curtis shook his head. “No, his residence is off the property.”
I swallowed, trying to stay calm. “Tracy. Like I said, he was probably here because of her. I’m worried about her.”
“She’s a big girl, Charlotte. She can make her own choices.”
“Like I did?” I asked, my words coming out angrier than I meant them to. “Mark manipulated me, and I let him! If he’s lying to Tracy, I wouldn’t be surprised if she has no idea. She wanted you back, Finn, and”—I turned to Curtis instead because Finn wouldn’t look at me—“she wanted him back, and she didn’t get what she wanted. It makes sense that Mark was behind that, too, and he’s trying to turn Tracy against us. Maybe so he’ll have someone to blame it on if something happens. He’s still the same person he used to be. It’s not safe for Tracy to be around him.”
“At this point,” Curtis said, “the best thing to do is talk to the detectives and report anything you see or hear.”
“I think I should talk to Tracy,” I said.
Finn whipped to face me. “Are you serious?”
“If she knew what kind of person he is, what he did—what he’s still trying to do—maybe it’ll help. Or at least she’ll stay away from him.”
“You really think she’s going to listen to you?” Finn asked, walking to me. “After what happened this morning? You need to stay away from her.”
“Finn.”
Curtis cleared his throat. “I’m going to have to agree with Mr. Moore. Talk to the detectives and stay out of it.”
I blinked at Curtis, surprised by his words. He’d never given me an order before, always been on my side.
Shane shifted next to me. “Ms. Evans. No one wants to see you hurt. It’s better this way.”
That made my anger simmer down. They were just trying to look out for me. All of them. And Curtis and Shane, at least, could see it from an outside perspective. They weren’t emotionally involved like I was, and it helped keep them impartial.
“I understand,” I whispered. “I’ll call Detective Winters.”
I pulled out my phone and turned for the door, walking away from Finn’s stare and the feeling that something very bad was going to happen. Hopefully the detectives would be able to do something more than I was able to on my own.