Cryptic

 

“Almost ready?” Kara asked as she smoothed back a stray hair.

“I hope so.” I tried not to grimace.

“Come on,” she said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder as she ushered me out of the bathroom. “Everything looks great. And either way, tomorrow is Friday, and it will all be over soon.”

With less than an hour until the doors of the training center were to open, Kara and I, along with a team of Zenith employees and recruits, had spent the better part of the morning setting up for the annual youth outreach event. Last night had been a late night of last-minute preparations and this morning an early start, and despite all our hard work, I was nervous. This was one of my first major assignments in my full-time position at Zenith. I wanted to prove to the guys, and more importantly, to myself, that I was a good fit for the position and that their faith in hiring me was justified.

“Anything I can help with?” Theo asked, having found me rearranging some pamphlets while I double-checked every detail. I spied Knox across the room, drawn into conversation with a couple of the other regional directors. I was glad Knox and Theo were attending the event, and I knew their passion about the youth outreach program would be a great boon to recruitment.

“Just be your usual charming self.” I smiled.

Theo grinned. “Done. And you’ve done an amazing job. Seriously, Haley, in all the years I’ve attended the open house, it’s never looked like this.”

“Thanks,” I exhaled. “I don’t know that I’ve ever been this ready for the weekend.”

“Want to grab some dinner when we’re done here?”

“Sounds great.”

“Speaking of the weekend, did you figure out what dessert you’re making for Knox’s birthday?”

I nodded. “Oh yeah, and I think he’s going to love it.” I scanned the room, noticing the new faces filling in. “By the way, where’s Ethan? I thought he was coming?”

Theo shrugged but didn’t provide any information on Ethan’s whereabouts.

“Do you think I should text him?”

“I’m not sure it will do any good,” he muttered, his attention focused on the room.

“Theo?” I prodded, and noticed a shadow cross over his expression.

“I don’t know what’s going on with him,” he huffed.

“What do you mean? You just spent all that time with him in Mexico,” I said, wondering what Ethan’s problem was this time. Ever since his outburst in San Francisco, I’d noticed that any time there was friction within the team, Ethan was usually in the middle of it.

“Exactly. He had this . . . I don’t know, attitude. He seems distant, almost angry.”

Hmm. I didn’t like the sounds of that, but considering he’d been just as standoffish with me as with the team lately, I couldn’t comment. Although there were moments when I saw the old Ethan—like when he walked me and Jess back to the hotel in Vegas—those were few and far between. Choosing to assume he wasn’t purposely skipping the event, I sent him a text to ask if everything was okay. When he didn’t immediately respond, I put my cell away and got back to work.

The event seemed to be well attended, and when I spoke with a couple of the regional directors, including Patrick, they seemed pleased with the turnout. Among the few clients represented was Gerald Douglas, looking polished in a crisp black suit. I knew he was invited, but with it being a daytime open house, a response to the invitation hadn’t been required, and I had secretly hoped he wouldn’t attend.

Circulating the facility, I checked in at the various information centers to make sure everyone had what they needed. More than once, I had the eerie feeling that someone was watching me and could have sworn that I caught Douglas staring in my direction. Deciding I was probably being paranoid, I forgot all about it in the flurry of activity—answering questions, giving tours of the center, and signing up potential recruits.

As I stood at the doors several hours later, thanking people for their attendance while they exited, I was relieved it was almost over. My feet were aching, and all I could think about was sitting down to a relaxing dinner. I shook a man’s hand and felt a piece of paper pressed between our palms. Surprised, I glanced at the paper briefly and then looked up to find that he had vanished into the group leaving the facility. That’s odd. Ready to discard it as junk, I thought better of it and slipped it in my pocket.

When the open house was finally over, I found an empty corner and unfolded the small piece of paper.

Let’s have a chat about your father. Japanese Friendship Garden, Kelley Park, this Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Tell no one. Come alone.

I reread the note in disbelief. My immediate thought was that it was from Douglas, and I assumed he had passed it to me through someone else. I tried to recall the features of the man who handed me the note but was frustrated to realize I’d barely gotten a glimpse of him before he disappeared. How could Douglas possibly know that Stephen Jones, I mean Brian Taylor, is my father? Maybe it’s a mistake? I tried to reassure myself that was the case but quickly failed, panic setting in.

Tugging on the neck of my shirt, even though it wasn’t tight, I struggled to catch my breath and tame my racing thoughts. Questions of whether I should meet Douglas, if he knew where my dad was, if I should go in alone, and whether it was a trap played across my mind. Sunday, I thought, that’s three days away. Panic set in as I realized I only had a few days to sort it out and make a plan of action.

“Ready to go, Haley?” Theo called from down the hallway.

I shoved the note in my pocket and schooled my expression into something more neutral as I spun on my heels, hoping I didn’t look guilty as hell. “Yep.”

While we walked to Theo’s car, I checked my phone in an attempt to hide my anxiety; still no response from Ethan. Why did he bail? Neither Knox nor Theo seemed able, or willing, to tell me the reason.

Thankfully, Theo was so busy chatting on the way to the restaurant that he didn’t notice the unease that was likely written all over my face. But, I knew I’d only been given a reprieve. There was no way I could completely hide my tension sitting across the table from him. I considered claiming exhaustion to get out of dinner, but I couldn’t bear to ruin his good mood. Plus, he would probably watch me closer and ask questions anyway.

I had just taken my first bite of the appetizer—pita bread with the creamiest hummus I’d ever tasted—when Theo gave me the look.

“What aren’t you telling me, chickpea?”

Surprised by his phrasing, I took my time chewing in order to come up with an appropriate reply. “What do you mean?”

“I can tell something is bothering you and hoped you would tell me, but apparently I’m going to have to drag it out of you.”

I didn’t want to lie to him, so I said something that was true although obviously not the full story. “I’m seriously beat. The last few days have been crazy at work.”

“Okay . . . and . . .?”

“And what?” I asked with fake confusion, hating myself for not being upfront with him.

“And what else is wrong? You haven’t been yourself since I got back from Mexico. Knox noticed it as well, but he told me to leave it alone.” His concerned expression turned impish. “I took his advice under consideration.”

“In other words, you ignored him.”

“Precisely,” he said with a grin.

“Good to know you guys were talking about me.”

“Um, of course we talk about you. All. The. Time. And, don’t try to change the subject. What’s up?”

Now that was a loaded question. There were any number of reasons why I may have been acting odd in the week and a half since he’d returned. My mind was perpetually warring with itself to even decide which issue to focus on. My time with Jackson and what I’d learned about the pact. Memories of the incredibly steamy kiss I’d shared with Liam. Lingering guilt because of said kiss, exemplified by the utterly enjoyable evening I spent with Chase last week.

Simply remembering our non-date made me simultaneously happy and sad. Out of all the guys, Chase had been the one who made me feel most at ease from the very beginning. And, playing Battleship with him, of all things, I realized that there was more to it. He had this way of making me feel cherished, like I was perfect . . . or maybe perfect for him.

As much fun as we had together, our relationship status, or lack thereof, was a constant elephant in the room. Though he never brought it up, I could tell he was dying to hear my answer. I knew I couldn’t keep putting him off; I needed to make a decision.

When Chase walked me to my car, he wrapped me up in a tight hug, then kissed me on the forehead. I was slightly disappointed at the time that he hadn’t really kissed me, but now I was grateful I didn’t have one more thing to feel guilty about. The mere thought of breaking his heart was already splintering mine. If I decided to turn him down, I might actually shatter into a million pieces.

Theo wanted to know what was going on with me? Add today’s cryptic note to my growing list of troubles, and I wouldn’t know where to start . . . assuming I was willing to explain any of it.

Did I dare show him the note? It was tempting. After all these months of being certain my identity had remained a secret, the secret was out. It was terrifying, and I wanted nothing more than to run into Theo’s arms and let him comfort and protect me. But, I knew telling one of the guys was the same as telling all of them, and I didn’t want to open that can of worms. In addition to reinstating my “protection schedule,” Jackson would immediately take over the situation. There was no way he’d let me show up at the park on Sunday, and I worried that whatever action the team took would end up negatively affecting my dad. I couldn’t risk it.

The seconds that ticked by without responding were undoubtedly proving Theo’s point about my strange behavior. Could I get away with a vague answer? I remembered Chase’s words in the coffee shop and crafted a similar question.

After taking a deep breath, I finally returned my gaze to Theo. “Have you ever felt like your head was telling you one thing and your heart another?”

“Hmmm,” he said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. Then he rolled up his sleeve and placed his arm on the table, palm up. “See this tattoo?” He pointed to a spot near the middle of his forearm, and when I looked closely, I was able to make out a small Tigger, only about two inches tall. It was hiding within a tree with watercolor branches that I’d admired many times.

My hand flew to my mouth in a futile attempt to hide my laugh. He gave me a knowing grin. “My head told me I’d regret getting a tattoo of an animated character, but my heart said it was a Tiggeriffic idea,” he said with a playful growl.

I giggled. “And why Tigger, exactly?”

“Isn’t it obvious? He’s cheerful, confident, fun, has awesome friends.” He gave me a wink and added, “He’s my hero.”

Shaking my head at his silliness, I had to admit Theo had a certain Tigger-like charm. All of the adjectives he listed were a perfect match for his personality. And, like Tigger, he was one of a kind.

“What is it with you and Disney movies?” I asked, recalling numerous times he had referenced movie quotes or characters.

His expression turned thoughtful. “I’m guessing you learned more about my crappy childhood on your little trip to Bakersfield?” I nodded, tidbits that Knox had revealed about their past immediately springing to mind. “So you probably know I didn’t get a lot of adult attention or supervision growing up, which meant I spent many, many hours in front of the TV, and Disney movies were my favorite. Now I recognize them as the escape they were, but back then . . . they just made me happy.”

I smiled sadly and traced my fingers over the tattoo. “I support anything that makes you happy.”

“Do you?” he asked seriously.

“Yes.”

“Then it would make me happy if you would explain what has your head and heart all tangled up.”

Inwardly, I cringed. I had expected him to turn the conversation back to me, and this time I was ready. But, that didn’t mean I was any happier about what I was about to say. While my words would be true, they weren’t really honest.

“You know I love living at the loft, right?”

“Yeah,” he said slowly and uncertainly. “And we love having you there.”

“Okay, well, I don’t want you to think I’m at all ungrateful, because that’s the furthest thing from the truth. But, I’ve been thinking it’s time to start making a plan to move out.”

“What?” Theo asked, clearly shocked. “Why would you even consider that?”

“Theo,” I sighed. “I live in your house, rent free. Drive your cars, eat your food, use your laptop, read your books. I can’t keep mooching off you and Knox forever. It’s not right.”

“Why the Tweedledee not?” Theo asked angrily. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

“You and Knox never expected this to be a permanent arrangement. And, I want to respect that. You guys aren’t even involved in searching for my dad anymore, and apart from this little DuBois setback, nothing remotely threatening has happened in over six months,” I lied, trying not to think about my upcoming, very mysterious, meeting.

“I’ll ignore that ‘little setback’ comment, because it’s irrelevant. Maybe we didn’t anticipate in September that you’d stay with us and work at Zenith long-term, but who cares?” He leaned forward, his hazel eyes flashing with earnestness. “The only thing that matters is what everyone wants now, and I can assure you that both Knox and I want you to stay.”

“Are you certain?”

“Absolutely,” he responded, finally smiling again. “Listen to your heart, Haley. We misfits have to stick together.”

Our entrées arrived, and Theo changed the subject to some of the new Zenith Youth recruits he had met today. “Did you see that tall, skinny guy with the red hair?” he asked. “He’s never going to make it through the program.”

“How do you know?”

“It’s obvious,” he scoffed. “He looks like a total wimp.”

I laughed. “And, I suppose you were all muscles at that age?”

Theo shrugged. “Maybe not, but I was scrappy. It’s not all about brawn, you know.”

“Oh, I know. I saw you take on the giant in Patrick’s office, if you remember. Maybe I should start calling you David.”

“Did you have to bring that up?” He groaned. “You’re the one who took Goliath down. It would have been humiliating if it wasn’t so dang hot,” he said, his eyes flashing with a seductive magnetism that I wasn’t used to from him.

Inhaling deeply to settle the sudden flutters in my stomach, I replied, “Whatever. I got lucky, took him by surprise.”

“Agree to disagree. So . . . I saw you and Kara together quite a bit today. Should I be jealous of your budding friendship? I’m not giving up my ‘bestie’ title, so don’t even think about replacing me.”

“She could never replace you,” I said in an overly placating tone. “But, it is nice to have a girl to hang out with who doesn’t spend every second talking about Chase and any other remotely attractive guy at work.”

“Does that mean Melissa is officially out?” Theo asked excitedly.

“Um, yeah, she’s pretty much been out for the last few months. I was a little disappointed that she was blowing me off at first, but now I’m mostly relieved, especially since Kara and I have been hanging out.”

“Personally, I’m as pleased as Punch that you’ve traded up. But, I need to have a little chat with Kara to make sure she knows I still come first.” He knocked his fist against his palm a few times with a mock scowl.

“Simmer down, Tigger. And, if anyone should be jealous, it’s me. You’re the one with all the friends.”

Theo shook his head vehemently. “No, I have a lot of acquaintances. People I meet up with now and then. I have a brother and five other friends . . . and you are hands down my favorite.”

“Thank you. But you don’t consider Drew, Alyssa, Devin, or Kenzi friends? What about all those people at your birthday party?”

“No. I like most of them fine, except Kenzi,” he muttered under his breath, “but none of them know the real me.”

“What happened with Kenzi?” I asked, my ears immediately perking up at his tone.

“Nothing.”

“Nu-huh,” I argued. “Something happened. I can tell.”

I watched Theo’s face and was surprised to see his cheeks and ears turn pink. He cleared his throat. “She sent a couple of texts inviting me to hang out shortly after I left for UCLA. I kept blowing her off, not wanting to explain that I randomly transferred.” He paused and played with the food on his plate. “Then, apparently hoping to snag my attention, she texted me an . . . um . . . inappropriate photo of herself.”

Choking on my water, I coughed and then laughed in astonishment. “Girls really do that?”

“Yeah, some do. Anyway, I sort of panicked and told her that I had a girlfriend so she would leave me alone.” He gave me a sheepish look. “She didn’t believe me at first and asked who . . . and I may have told her that you were my girlfriend,” he said quickly. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have, but it seemed like the easiest way to deal with her.” His words came out so fast that I barely understood them.

“It’s fine,” I replied with a smile, amused by how nervous he was admitting what he’d done. Honestly, I was just happy for proof that I was right about Kenzi. Definitely not the trustworthy type. “I’ll make sure to cover my face if I run into her again.”

“What?” he asked, confused.

“So Kenzi doesn’t scratch my eyes out,” I said, clawing at the air. “She definitely seems the type.”

Theo chuckled. “Good idea. Can’t have her scarring your beautiful face.”

Dang. Why does he have to be so sweet? And with that, my mind was back on my boy troubles.