Crazy Stupid Love (Blame it on New York) by Cassie Rocca (10)

“Well here we are. It’s Valentine’s Day,” sighed Zoe, sitting herself down on the edge of Clover’s desk. She held a basket containing several gift-wrapped packages and small bouquets of flowers, which she observed almost indifferently. “Don’t you think there look to be less of them than there were other years?”

“You’ve always been the only one around here to get any Valentine’s Day gifts, so how do you think Lib, Eric and me feel?”

“I’m also losing my charms as well as my admirers. Since Evan, no one has been in to ask me out on a date,” said Zoe, opening a box of chocolates and popping a praline into her mouth. “I mean, unless you count Stuart, obviously.”

“Stuart?” Clover arched an eyebrow and cast an anxious glance in the direction of Eric, who was staring grimly at his computer screen.

“He’s been going all out to try and win me back,” said Zoe, thoughtfully. “He seems to be really determined.”

“Once they hit forty, some men are very eager to try and cleanse their karma of all the shitty stuff they’ve done in the past,” muttered Eric, cuttingly.

Zoe bit into a chocolate covered strawberry which she had extracted from another be-ribboned package. “I honestly don’t know what to think. He calls me practically every day now, and he really does seem to be remorseful. If he’s lying, he deserves an Oscar for his performance.”

“What, you mean you’re starting to believe him?” asked Eric, suddenly attentive.

She shrugged. “I’m just hearing him out, for the moment.”

“Well that’s a good way to waste your time.”

“Don’t be so hard on him, you should always give people a chance to explain themselves,” said Zoe, giving him a wistful smile. “If what he tells me is true, it was wrong of me to just walk out and dump all the blame on him back then.”

Eric jumped to his feet, took off his glasses and ran his hand over his face. “I can’t believe it, you’re letting yourself fall for it again…”

“I’m just looking at the facts from a different perspective.”

Clover shook her head. “I don’t know what he’s been telling you, but I don’t think you should trust him. Hey, remember, unless he was drugged or under threat of death, he went to bed with Miranda of his own accord!”

“He says that they just kissed. And that he’d tried to tell me at the time that things weren’t going the way they should have been between us, and that he was depressed about it and that Miranda consoled him. He was a bit tipsy, and she put the moves on him… I’d suspected for a long time that she was hot for him, but I couldn’t be certain.”

Eric pulled a disgusted face.

“This is bullshit. You were his devoted slave, it was ridiculous how desperate you were to do whatever he wanted, and he took advantage of the fact every way he could! So don’t start telling me that you two were having problems and that he decided to turn to your best friend for consolation, because it’s an insult to your and my intelligence!”

With an angry gesture, Zoe closed the box of chocolates. “There’s no need for you to get your knickers in a twist.”

“He’s angry because he is worried that Stuart is going to make you suffer again,” interjected Clover, giving a warning glance to Eric, who seemed on the verge of losing control. “And to be honest, I’m worried too.”

“I’m an adult, I know what I’m doing. I was just filling you in on what happened, I’m not saying that I believe him.”

“And did you tell him you’re never going to forgive him and that he shouldn’t try and get in touch with you again?”

The way Eric stared into her eyes was so threatening it made her feel uncomfortable. Swinging her leg, Zoe looked away.

“He keeps asking me to go out on a date with him. I told him that I didn’t think it was a good idea, but he says he’s going to try and convince me by any means possible.”

Eric cursed and stomped out of the office, and Zoe looked over at Clover. “God, he’s got such a quick temper.”

“If you go out with Stuart again, Zoe, I think I’ll cross you off my list of friends,” the redhead muttered, standing up and following Eric.

“Thank you so much!” Zoe shouted after them, then turning to look in annoyance at the gifts that her ‘admirers’ – those few diehards who were still trying to get a date with her – had had delivered to the store.

No one understood how she felt at that moment. It was easy for Clover to be so sure of herself: she had a wonderful man by her side, who that afternoon would be putting her on a private plane to Paris! And Liberty would go out with Justin, as always. Even Eric had someone to be with, she imagined, even though it had been a few days since she had seen Stephanie in the store.

But she had no one. Just a dozen guys who were practically strangers and who were determined to get a date with her by showering her with gifts, and an ex-boyfriend who had suddenly decided he wanted them to get back together. She wasn’t crazy about either of the options, but at least Stuart’s back-pedalling was good for her self-esteem.

Reluctantly, she began to observe the gifts she’d received: romantic cards, soft toys, hearts, pendants…

And then a bouquet of flowers that was bigger than the others. Nine beautiful red roses tied together with a silk ribbon, to which was attached an anonymous envelope that caught her eye.

Another message from her secret admirer!

She opened it and pulled out the sober, heart-shaped note inside, upon which was written a few words:

Intrigued, Zoe put the rest of the gifts down on the desk and walked out of the office, her nose pressed into the soft rose petals.

“I got another one!” she exclaimed, attracting the attention of her colleagues. At that moment Liberty too was at the counter, and all present turned in her direction.

“You know, I think this time I want him to reveal his identity!”

She handed the envelope to Clover, who opened it.

“And you want him to do it right on Valentine’s Day?” asked Liberty. “Romantic!”

“I’m dying to know who the hell it is,” sighed Zoe, caressing the flowers.

Over the last three days she had received three anonymous gifts. After the Red Velvet and the first message, a fluffy hamster toy had arrived, holding between its paws the message: ‘Love can have many faces… For me it has only one.’ On the third day, she had received a beautiful bracelet with a star shaped pendant – a transparent, sparkling crystal upon which was engraved her name. The note that accompanied it said only: ‘Will you ever shine only for me?’

And now these beautiful roses…

After reading the brief message, Clover looked at her.

“Whoever it is, he is disarmingly sweet. And it was really nice of him to organize all this.”

Zoe nodded. “You’re right… Unless he’s a dangerous psychopath.” Her face suddenly grew slightly dark as a thought flashed into her mind. “And what if it’s Stuart?”

“Why,” snapped Eric, “does he know how to write now?”

“Just because doctors have bad handwriting, that doesn’t mean that they are illiterate,” joked Liberty.

“Don’t you think it’s a really weird coincidence? He turns up again after four years, vowing that he’s going to change my mind, and since then, every day I’ve received an anonymous gift. And now this…” Zoe reread the message, then closed the envelope. “It does seem pretty likely.”

“I very much doubt it’s the same person. What sense would it make to organize something romantic like anonymous messages, and then hassle you by phoning you every day to beg you for a date?” Clover looked at Eric. “What do you think? You’ve met him, you know what he’s like. Do you think that’s his style?”

“No.”

“He may have honed his technique over the years,” murmured Zoe.

Clover smiled. “The only way to find out is to go up there and see what this mystery man has left for you. Maybe there’s a more precise clue!”

“Or why don’t you just forget about it?” said Eric, finally raising his eyes to her. “The whole thing’s stupid. Whoever sent those messages knows how to get in touch with you, he could show up here and say all this directly to your face instead of hiding behind anonymous notes. Perhaps he’s just worried that you won’t be pleased when you eventually find out his identity, and that’s why he’s playing the mystery card.”

“Well at least he’s been original,” said Clover, between her teeth. “I think that you should go.”

“It’s still really sweet, even if he doesn’t turn out to be Prince Charming, and he’s made me curious.” Zoe looked over at Liberty to get her permission, and her friend nodded.

“Go ahead.”

“Thanks! I hope it won’t take long,” Zoe smiled as she grabbed her coat.

Clover gave a quick glance at the clock, then hugged her. “I won’t be here when you get back. Cade is supposed to be arriving at any moment and then we’re going straight to the airport. So call me tomorrow, okay? I want to know everything!”

“Have fun in Paris! And say ‘hi’ to Cade for me,” said Zoe with a smile as she left Giftland.

As soon as Zoe and Liberty were out of sight, Clover nudged Eric.

“What’s the matter with you, are you nuts? You tried to talk her out of going!”

“It was a bad, bad idea,” snapped Eric, running a hand through his hair. “And I’m really starting to regret ever having listened to you.”

“It’s going to work, though, I can feel it,” smiled Clover. “Zoe loves being surprised and wooed, and that touch of mystery was exactly what was needed to stop her from thinking about that idiot.”

“What do you mean, stop her thinking about him?! He was the first guy she thought of!” Furiously, Eric squeezed his hand into a fist. “He just had come back before Valentine’s Day, didn’t he? Damn it, she’d agree to go out with the devil himself tonight if it meant she didn’t have to feel alone!”

“But that’s not going to happen because even if she does go to the restaurant expecting to find Stuart, she’ll find you there instead.”

“And what if he’s made a date with her for this evening too? Maybe in the same place?”

“Eric, don’t be so silly!” Clover squeezed his hand. “Harris has no chance with her – much less against you.”

“But what if she’s already worked it all out and decides not to show up? I can already see the scene, me sitting there in the restaurant all dressed up like a penguin, waiting in vain for someone who’s never going to show.”

Clover raised her eyes to the ceiling in frustration. “And they say that women are insecure in love!”

Eric glared at her and she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“You’re so cute! Zoe won’t be able to resist you.”

“Oh, sure! That’s why I’ve been drooling over her for years and she’s never even noticed!”

“You’ve always been close to her as a friend and hidden your real feelings in every way you could. How was she supposed to realize that you felt something for her? And even if she had realized, the fear of confusing you or of ruining your relationship would have stopped her from doing anything.”

“Zoe’s not as conscientious as you make out,” protested Eric. “When she wants something, she takes it.”

“Zoe takes things that are uncomplicated,” Clover corrected him. “After Stuart, she was so scared of being betrayed again that she devoted her time to useless people. And you would be a serious commitment.”

“A commitment that she doesn’t want to make.”

“God, you’re such a pessimist!” snorted his friend. She admonished him with a wagging finger. “Now listen carefully: Zoe is ready to fall in love again, she said so herself. Seeing me so happy has infected her: she’s tired of meaningless relationships and she’s looking for a serious one. And even if she hasn’t opened up much about, I am one hundred per cent sure that she has revised her ideas about you as a man, especially after your nude performance on the day of the photo shoot.”

“I didn’t do it on purpose!”

“That doesn’t matter. She was shocked and almost offended about not having realized before that, under your boring clothes, you’re super sexy! Combine that tantalizing discovery with the deep affection that there has always been between the two of you, stir in the romance of the River Café and the irresistible feeling of having been loved for ten years, and the result is pretty much guaranteed!”

Eric shook his head. “I’m not convinced. If nothing has ever happened between us, perhaps it’s destiny.”

“Or because until now you’ve always been a shy coward, and she’s been blind and diffident. Maybe neither of you were ready: sometimes it takes the right moment to unlock a situation.” Clover took him by the arm and looked into his eyes. “Don’t give up now, Eric. What have you got to lose? You won’t be able to save your friendship forever, you’re already at the limit. If you give up the chance to win her over, sooner or later someone else will manage to do it in your place, and at that point you’ll lose her. You won’t be able to stand the fact of knowing that she’s with someone else, and that will end up ruining your relationship anyway.”

“Getting turned down will ruin our relationship anyway.”

“Well it’d be better to get turned down after at least trying than just imaging it. It is always better to regret what you have done than what you haven’t.”

Eric did not answer. Until a few hours earlier, he had been sure that Clover was right and that it was high time to take the bull by the horns once and for all. If he had to suffer it was better at least to have a definite answer to his questions.

Yet now he was terrified of seeing a disappointed expression on Zoe’s face as soon as she realized who was behind the anonymous notes she’d been receiving for the last four days.

“If she turns me down, I’m going back to Boston,” he said quietly, putting his hands in his pockets.

Clover sighed. “Although I don’t agree with you, I can understand. But I really hope it won’t come to that.”

*

The feeling at the top of the Empire State Building was always the same: power, unreality, confusion. With its dizzying height, the building gave you the feeling that you could challenge the sky, and at its summit you felt as though you’d entered a different world – it was like you’d taken a lift to another dimension.

Inside the mysterious envelope, Zoe had also found a pass which allowed her to skip the long lines of tourists who thronged the most famous skyscraper in the city, and go directly to the two hundredth floor.

It was the perfect time of day for the trip. The view of Manhattan from the top was always spectacular, but at sunset the view drew gasps of pure ecstasy.

It had been quite a while since the last time she had been up there, and she wanted to thank whoever it was who had arranged this surprise for her.

The first time she had climbed to top of the skyscraper, she had wept with joy. Eric had been with her that day, and could confirm it. Her dream had always been to live in Manhattan, and finally she had succeeded. And so, to celebrate, she and the freshly graduated Eric had eaten a pizza together and then decided to go up to the observatory. The queue for the tickets, security checks and elevators had provoked several irritable mutterings from Eric, but Zoe was as excited as a child. To repay the patience that her friend had shown in taking her up there, and to congratulate him again on graduating, Zoe had stopped at one of the many souvenir shops and bought the skyscraper-shaped key ring which he still treasured. It wasn’t a great gift, she knew, but at the time she had been saving every penny to pay for the rent on her apartment, and anyway, Eric seemed to like it.

Her mouth hidden behind her scarf, she chuckled softly when the elevator began to shoot upwards. Eric had almost had a heart attack the first time at the feeling of being sent hurtling upwards at the speed of a rocket. She had teased him for days, reminding him of the greenish color his face had been for twenty minutes after they had got out.

They’d had such fun together! And Eric had always shown her so much affection, despite all her caprices.

Back at Giftland, though, he had seemed genuinely disappointed. The thought that she might be fooled a second time by Stuart had really made him lose his temper.

And could she blame him? She wasn’t particularly proud of herself either. She should have been icy and indifferent towards her ex, telling him to go to hell and making it obvious that he didn’t stand a chance with her. She deserved something more than a guy that she couldn’t trust.

But she had loved Stuart. Of course, she’d been young and foolish at the time, and not really able to understand what true love was, but the emotions she had felt with him she had never felt since. Perhaps she hadn’t thrown herself into the relationships that had followed with enough conviction after that setback, but finally she felt ready to overcome her fears and fall in love again. And Stuart had happened to re-appear in her life right at that moment, ready to grovel at her feet just the way she had so often dreamed of.

She wasn’t sure that she wanted to believe him, but after his seemingly heartfelt words, a small part of her wondered if, now that she was an adult and more aware of her power, things might not go differently.

She recalled Stuart’s face, and tried to focus on her reactions to that image. Those intense eyes, wiry body and cocky way of acting. As a young girl she had found him more charming than beautiful, and she had let herself be won over by his confidence and his elegant manners. After they had split up, she had always deliberately chosen rough, straight talking men, so as to always have before her eyes the harsh reality and not an attractive facade.

She remembered with a touch of melancholy the way she had always felt as if she was floating several feet above the ground when she was with Stuart, but maybe it was only the feeling that she was missing.

How could she go back to trusting someone like that? Any time he was a little late, any message he received on his phone, any unexpected commitment would make her suspicious. She would even start worrying about Liberty and Clover for the simple reason that she had already been betrayed by a friend. She was in serious danger of getting herself into trouble with her own two hands.

But what if Stuart really had changed? Was it right to reject him out of hand, without giving him a chance at redemption?

She was so tired of being alone, of not being courted, or desired, or loved by anyone…

“Would you really settle for something like that just so as not to be single any more?”

That thought kept going round constantly in her head, making her shiver. Could she, who had been so excited to see Clover and Cade get together, who dreamed of a love story like that of her parents, who at that time envied every couple she saw in the street, really settle for the first man who came along just so that she wouldn’t have to be alone? It was a terrible thought.

Another love would come, sooner or later. She just had to be patient.

But patience had never been her strong point…

The gust of cold air that slammed into her as she walked out onto the roof terrace took her breath away. It wasn’t snowing any more, but the temperature was still very low. And up there, over three hundred yards above the ground, it was pretty damn chilly.

The smell of approaching rain filled her lungs. The dark clouds and lightning had been gathering for hours, obscuring part of the pink sky. The forecast was for torrential rain that evening.

“Who cares? I’ll be lying on the couch, buried under the covers, watching some tearjerker and stuffing my face with donuts, crying over the days when I used to spend Valentine’s Day with a man.”

She stuck her hands in her pockets and her fingers brushed the envelope, reminding her of why she had come to the top of the Empire State Building.

Summoning up a little fresh curiosity, she began to look around. It was hard to see anything through the crowd of people, so she took a wander round the terrace, keeping an eye open for anything unusual. After a few minutes, a flash of red in the corner of the viewing platform overlooking Central Park caught her eye.

Cast in shadow by the light of the pale setting sun, two heart-shaped balloons were fluttering in the icy air. Feeling a smile appear spontaneously on her face, she walked over, making her way through the curious crowd. One of the two balloons, which were both secured to the railing with a thick ribbon, had her name on it very clearly; on the other there were only three dots. At the bottom of the ribbon was a red rose tied to another envelope, this one bigger than the others.

When she reached the small secluded space she undid the red envelope and opened it, more curious than ever, hoping to find some useful clue which would reveal the identity of her mysterious suitor. But the note didn’t bear any signature, just a few words printed on a white card:

Feeling her heart beat faster, she checked that there was nothing else, and only then did she notice a folded piece of cardboard: it was a copy of the menu from the River Café, one of the most romantic restaurants in all of New York. At the top on the right was written a time – ten o’clock that evening.

Zoe peered around her, hoping to identify a suspicious face in that sea of people. Lots of them were staring at her, curious about the balloons and the situation, but she couldn’t see anyone that she knew, and that made her realize that the mysterious man only intended to reveal himself if she accepted his invitation for that evening.

Who could have organized all this? Could it really be the work of Stuart? Another way of trying to break down her resistance, or a sincere attempt to win her back?

Whoever it was, he had certainly succeeded in his goal of surprising her and capturing her imagination in a way that had rarely happened before in her life. That romantic gesture in those few, brief moments atop the Empire State Building had made her feel special. Even if it didn’t end up having an interesting continuation, the originality of the whole thing had revived a St Valentine’s Day which would otherwise have been lonely.

She undid the balloons, holding the ribbon and the rose between her fingers, put the card into her bag and walked slowly towards the furthest corner of the terrace, intent on reflecting on the day’s events and enjoying the last minutes of the sunset.

It could have been anyone who had organized the surprise. A rejected admirer, a former boyfriend, Stuart… even some kind of psycho! Or it could have been those two crazy friends of hers, to distract her from the depression that she’d sunk into over the last few days. In that case, she wondered who they could have forced to wait for her at the restaurant that evening, since Clover was going to go to Paris with Cade and Liberty was going out to dinner with Justin.

Eric flashed into her thoughts, but she dismissed the idea forcefully. He wouldn’t have let them involve him a stupid joke like that, and anyway, he would certainly be going out with Stephanie that night. He wouldn’t have had time to have dinner with his pathetic single colleague.

All of them had something to do – except her. And keeping the appointment was the only alternative to solitude that was left.

*

The first drops of rain began to fall while Liberty was locking the door of the shop. Zoe looked up at the threatening sky and snorted.

“Typical. When you have an important occasion on your hands it always starts raining so that you end up having to spend hours in front of the wardrobe choosing a dress that can handle the cold and the damp while still managing to look hot. And that’s without even mentioning the hair!”

“So have you decided to go to the appointment?” asked Eric, raising his head. Zoe had returned from the Empire State Building with her cheeks burning with enthusiasm, showing him and Liberty the balloons, the rose and the card, but saying that she was still unsure about what to do. Two hours later, though, she seemed to have changed her mind…

“Well I’m certainly not staying at home. The silence in my apartment would kill me.”

“Do you still think that it’s Harris who’s behind it all?”

“I don’t know. But whoever it is must have knocked themselves out to get a table at the River Café on Valentine’s Day: that place is always full.”

His heart pounding, Eric didn’t answer. So the moment of truth had actually arrived. Perhaps that evening he would finally reveal his true feelings.

“You could always just not turn up…”

He banished the thought from his mind. He would never stand up Zoe, especially on a night like that.

Full of excitement, he lifted the hood of his jacket to shelter himself from the rain.

“Well I hope you make the right choice… and that you’re not disappointed.”

“Even if it was Stuart, and if I’d decided I was going to give him another chance, I wouldn’t exactly be running there joyfully. And if it really is a mysterious suitor, I’d be disappointed if he turned out to be a bad copy of Rowan Atkinson,” Zoe laughed. “Anyway, I’d better get going, or I won’t have time to make myself beautiful!”

“As if she needed it,” he thought as he watched her race off to the taxi stand.

Liberty peered at his anxious face and smiled.

“She’s a smart girl, she won’t fall for him again. Don’t worry.”

That wasn’t what Eric was worrying about at that particular moment, but he nodded and walked off in the opposite direction.

He only lived a few blocks from the store, so he decided to walk home to his apartment. By the time he reached the front door he was drenched and that detail only served to worsen his mood. It must be a bad omen.

After a hot shower, he poured himself a rather large glass of wine. He hardly ever drank, but that night he needed to do something to release the tension a bit. Within a few hours, his life would change drastically – both if dinner had a happy ending or if it meant him relocating immediately to Boston. And even though part of him was desperate to pull out of the whole thing, he forced himself to continue with his preparations.

He put on a dark grey suit that was elegant but not too serious. He decided not to wear a tie and chose a light grey shirt instead of the white one he had decided on earlier so as not to look too stuffy.

He even forced himself to wear contacts instead of his usual glasses, and to leave his hair naturally curly instead of smoothing it down with gel. Clover had suggested that he dress casually, maybe even a little scruffily, assuring him that Zoe would prefer it.

He managed to keep his nerves under control until it was time to go to the River Café. During the taxi ride he went over the line in his mind that he was intending to use to break the ice.

“Well, at least you didn’t run away in terror, so that’s something!” he would say, with fake ironic detachment, if Zoe stayed long enough. And then he would decide what to do next.

And if she ran away… Well, in that case he wouldn’t need an opening line, would he?

The River Café was crammed with people. Being the quintessential romantic restaurant, that evening it was packed. Eric had booked well in advance and had reserved a table right next to one of the windows so that they could enjoy a magnificent view of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. He knew that Zoe would love it, regardless of whatever else happened.

A few minutes before she was due, he ordered a bottle of French wine but waited to order the food. He could have chosen Zoe’s favorite dishes with his eyes closed, but he didn’t want to tempt fate…

And three-quarters of an hour later he knew that he had done the right thing.

The wine bottle was already half empty, people were beginning to give him pitying looks and the waiter had stopped coming over to his table, as though resigned to the fact that he wasn’t going to order anything.

Zoe had stood him up.

“She didn’t stand you up – she stood a stranger up,” the voice in his brain tried to reassure him – but his heart was saying something else entirely.

Perhaps when she had entered the restaurant and found out who was waiting for her at the table she had decided to get the hell out of there rather than face the situation? Or maybe she had accepted Harris’s umpteenth invitation and blown out her blind date?

He imagined her rolling around on a bed with her ex and downed the contents of his glass in one fell swoop.

He felt like a complete idiot.

Feeling terrible, he left a substantial tip on the table, stood up and stalked off towards the door. Crossing the restaurant alone, under the eyes of all the happy couples, only made his bad mood worse.

Outside the rain had doubled in intensity. Blindingly bright and terrifyingly compelling, the flashes of lightning came hot on the heels of one another, reflecting dramatically in the skyscrapers and lighting up a sky thick with black clouds. While he waited for a taxi, Eric stared at the Statue of Liberty across the river: a blue-green ghost in the water, struck repeatedly by bolts of lightning. Just like the statue, he felt invisible and immobile, at the mercy of the elements. But he was certain that Miss Liberty would survive that storm, whereas he felt as if he was about to collapse.

He almost didn’t notice the arrival of the taxi or the trip to the Upper East Side. He paid the fare like a robot and then went up to his apartment.

The silence was only broken by the storm that raged outside, echoing his mood. He turned on all the lights to ward off the dark, but as soon as his eyes focused on his surroundings, he turned almost all of them off again.

Even his house was full of her. Zoe had spent a lot of time there: dinners, parties, evenings working. She hadn’t left any personal items but she’d helped him decorate and furnish every room, and had personally chosen the dark red sofa and matching curtains. And her photographs were scattered over the walls, shots depicting facets of New York or moments of life during those long years they had known each other.

The sight of her smiling and beautiful in those pictures made him grind his teeth. Only someone as stupid as him could have hoped to charm a woman like her by letting her use him as a doormat for ten years. He ought to have told her where to go a long time ago, gone back to Boston and forgotten about her forever…

“And maybe it’s time to tell her to her face,” he thought.

In a burst of anger and false courage, he grabbed the phone and called Zoe’s home number, one hand pressed over his eyes. Saying what was on his mind would mean freeing himself from a burden. Even if it would destroy him later on. But at that moment he was not afraid of anything: he had nothing left to lose.

Almost like divine intervention, the doorbell rang, startling him. Muttering an expletive, he threw the phone down on a bookcase shelf and went to open the door. He wasn’t really in the mood to see anyone, but perhaps a distraction would stop him from doing anything stupid.

A roll of thunder chose that moment to make its appearance, echoing the dull thumping of his heart.

He grasped the handle and pulled the door open with a curt gesture. And then froze.

“I shouldn’t be here, I know. But I really need to talk to you.”