M y feet dragged over the floor as I debated whether or not I should just turn around before it was too late. But I was already inside the building and I knew Alex wouldn’t make the first move. It was up to me to rekindle my frayed relationship with her, and I wanted to do it before things got more complicated—which seemed to be inevitable if what Kelly was saying was in fact true .

Clenching onto the shoulder strap of my handbag, I floated down the hall nice and slow .

Occasionally, a head would lift as I passed in front of an open door, but most just assumed I belonged. I was a natural at acting like I owned the place, avoiding eye contact at all costs. When eyes lingered for too long, I ducked my head, afraid that I would cross paths with the one person I really didn’t want to see—Nash .

But the place was buzzing with activity. People of all ages and sizes zig zagged up and down the halls, twisting and turning every imaginable way. Studios tended to be complicated mazes and it was easy to get lost if you didn’t know where you were going .

My brows pinched .

I stopped to look both ways .

The subtle pitter-patter of my heart reminded me that I had no idea where I was going .

Realizing I was already lost, I could feel the high energy surrounding me and I could see why the profession appealed to Alex. It had the feel of a fun, creative environment, yet had the demands and challenges to keep it interesting enough to want to work as many hours as she was pulling .

Swiveling my head on my shoulders, I looked to the left. Then back to the right. I was unsure which way to turn and the signs plastered on the wall were only mildly helpful to an outsider like me. And just when I was about to commit to making a decision, my cell phone started to ring .

Diving my hand inside my bag, I gripped the device and answered the call. “Hello .”

“Ms. Williams, its Mr. Anderson .”

“Hey. Is everything all right?” I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, surprised to hear my doorman’s voice. “Do I have a package ?”

“Yes, everything is good. I just haven’t seen you for a while so I thought I’d call .”

Staring at my feet, I was confused by his phone call. It wasn’t like him to check up on me, and though the gesture was sweet, it was entirely unnecessary. “It’s been a hectic couple of days. Is my apartment okay ?”

“Yes. Everything is fine,” he assured me .

Lifting my head, I glanced down the hall with a pinched expression. “Look, Mr. Anderson I’m kind of in the middle of something .”

“It’s your uncle,” he spat .

I froze with a blank expression on my face. Stepping to the wall, I let a group of people pass before asking in a hushed tone, “Was he there ?”

I could hear him swallow before saying, “He came looking for you again .”

With widening eyes I fell speechless .

“This time I stopped him .”

Turning to face the wall, I asked, “What did he want ?”

“He didn’t say. But he wasn’t happy to learn he couldn’t visit without first receiving proper approval from security .”

Bringing my hand to my forehead, I felt my temperature spike. “Okay, thanks .”

“Thought you should know .”

“I appreciate it .”

“You’re welcome .”

“And, Mr. Anderson, if he comes back looking for me, will you call ?”

“I will.” His voice was reassuring. “Stay safe out there, Ms. Williams .”

Hanging up the call, an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. It was uncharacteristic of Mr. Anderson to be calling and it didn’t make me feel better to hear him tell me to stay safe. Hiding my phone away, I felt like there was more he needed to say, almost as if he was purposely hiding something from me .

Biting the inside of my cheek, I couldn’t escape the uneasy feeling he’d left me with .

It was like he intentionally didn’t say something, like he wanted me to hear what he wasn’t saying. My uncle was up to something. I knew he was. And with him poking around my apartment building, I was glad to have been staying with Kelly. I didn’t need this family drama creeping into my life. Not when I had so much else going on .

Wiping my clammy hands on my thighs, I twisted around and immediately stepped into a man’s shoulder. He caught me by the arms as I stumbled backward and we both apologized for walking into each other. “Do I know you?” he asked .

Staring into his face, I tried to place him. He had dirty blonde hair, a beard, and was dressed well in khakis and an open collared button down. “I don’t think so .”

“Huh. I guess you just have a familiar face.” He smiled .

“That’s what I’ve been told.” I snickered. “Hey, maybe you can help me?” My voice lightened with the intention of getting something from him .

Stepping forward with his hands hidden inside his pockets, he smirked .

“I’m trying to track down Alex Grace. You don’t happen to know where I can find her, do you ?”

“Nash’s girl.” He nodded .

“Yeah,” I breathed .

There was something in the way he was looking at me that made me hold my breath. It was like he knew who I was, and perhaps even the reason I was here. And though he didn’t say, I hesitated to ask, unsure I wanted to know what made me recognizable to him .

“Her office is the next floor up.” His heavy hands landed on my shoulders as he faced my body in the direction he was explaining. “Take those elevators there.” He pointed. “Once on the next floor, hang an immediate right and her office is the second door on the left .”

When his hands lifted away, I murmured, “Thanks .”

“I should be the one to thank you.” He winked, his eyes running down my front as he touched my arm. “I hope we’ll meet again,” he said as he continued on his way .

I stood with my feet glued to the floor. Watching him disappear around the corner, there was something about the look he gave me that had my mind racing to figure out what it was that had him so interested. Thinking about it the entire way to Alex’s office, I couldn’t figure out if his face was familiar, if we had met before, or if he was just hoping to charm me into giving him my phone number. It could have been any one of those but I let the thoughts go as soon as I found Alex .

Taking several deep breaths in an effort to calm myself, I finally inched my way inside her office. “Knock. Knock .”

She had her head buried inside her computer screen and when she craned her neck to see who it was, her welcoming smile quickly faded into oblivion. My stomach hardened as I recognized the pain from yesterday still hiding in her eyes. But if she knew the warnings Kelly mentioned to me—the warnings that she might be in danger—then I doubted she would be giving me the look she was giving me now. “Can I come in ?”

“Looks like you already are.” She swiveled around in her chair and closed her laptop .

“I was in the area.” My gaze never left hers. “Thought I would stop by and see how you’re doing .”

She glanced to the window, running her tongue over her front top teeth. “Don’t lie to me.” She turned back to look me in the eye. “You came because I haven’t been returning your calls .”

“True.” I smiled, taking a seat. “I missed you .”

“I’m busy, Kendra.” She leaned back and folded her arms over her chest. “What do you want ?”

Taking a moment to gather my thoughts, my eyes moved over her desk, never registering anything they were seeing. I knew what I wanted to tell her, knew the reason why I’d come in the first place, but now that I was here my entire plan froze and I didn’t know where to begin. “I wanted to tell you that what happened yesterday wasn’t my fault so,” I lifted my gaze back to hers, “stop pretending like we’re not friends .”

Her eyes narrowed as she took a minute to stare at me. “Nash hasn’t been the same since you left .”

My brows pinched as the crown of my head pulled up, straightening my slouched spine. “What has he been acting like ?”

She rubbed the back of her neck with her hand. “He’s quiet. He won’t talk to me. His temper is short. All the ingredients to make my reunion miserable .”

Licking my lips, I couldn’t help but think that Nash was showing all the signs to make me actually think that Kelly could have been right about him all along. Maybe Nash did murder Maria and he got away with it. But how could I possibly warn Alex that I was wrong about him—that she might have been wrong about him, too ?

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, looking to her exposed skin for any signs that maybe Nash had brought her to the club. There weren’t any .

She rolled her eyes .

An uncomfortable silence fell between us and I didn’t have it in me to start spreading the conspiracy that swirled between my ears. I just wanted to make my peace and get back to being friends. Because, until that happened, she wouldn’t listen to me. “Can I do anything to help ?”

Her chest rose, then fell. “Stay away .”

Despite her shattering my heart into a thousand sharp pieces, I did my best to keep the mood light. “Okay, but you’re still coming to the gym with me .”

She angled her head, giving me a look of disbelief. When I heard footsteps behind me, I turned to find her colleague leaning her head inside to remind Alex about the meeting about to start. As soon as she left, Alex dropped her hardened gaze back to me and said, “Nash isn’t far and if he sees you here—” She dropped her head and sighed .

“I get it,” I said, standing .

Alex rounded her desk and nudged me to the door .

I glanced over my shoulder. “Don’t lump me in with what Kelly does .”

“Too late,” she said, checking the halls for Nash. “You made that decision the moment you showed up with him to question Nash about that,” she paused to lower her voice, “stupid murder .”

Our eyes darted between each other and I wondered what happened to us. It was clear we both had heavy hearts, and I couldn’t stop thinking how we found ourselves here, struggling to hang on to a friendship that had once been so strong. It was our men’s fault. Not ours. They were the ones breaking us apart. Not us. But the truth of it was, neither one of us was willing to admit it—too afraid to lose the prospects that our men allowed us to have .

“I have a date with Madam.” My brows raised. “In case you’re curious to know where to find me .”

She didn’t say anything, only nodded. Then, as I turned my back and started to walk away, Alex said, “Kendra ?”

Turing around, I found her staring. The throbbing pain in my nipples was back and I couldn’t help but think that was what Alex had noticed somehow through my shirt .

“Congratulations.”

A blank look filled my face. “For what ?”

“Getting your face printed on the cover of Hollywood Reporter .”