“Video sounds perfect, Doc.” I wave goodbye and then close my laptop.
Just as I stand, my phone buzzes with a text. I reach for it, cringing when I see it’s my new best friend.Busy today? I’m bored! Come over!
I sigh then type,Sure! See you soon!
My left thumb caresses the underside of my ring finger out of habit, and it hits me that I’m not wearing my canary diamond from Dean. I feel nearly naked without it, and I’ve taken to worrying it back and forth on my finger these last few weeks. It’s the most expensive piece of jewelry I own and the very last thing I’d want to pawn, but if I had to…at least it’s an option. I stand, crossing the room to my bag and digging through it in search of my ring. It’s not where I usually keep it, and my heart does a flip in my chest. I turn the bag over frantically, emptying the contents onto the bed and digging through tissue packs and ChapStick and phone chargers.
“Shit,” I spit, crossing the room to the vanity adjacent to the toilet. I search my mess of toiletry bags, but the more I search, the more my heart sinks. It’s not here. I would never leave it out on the counter or tuck it away with my makeup items.
It’s gone. Stolen. And now I know that keeping Bishop in my life was a bigger risk than I even could have imagined. Now I know I was conned, not the one doing the conning.
Chapter Thirty
I’m downstairs. Wanna go out for lunch?
I wait patiently for Jesika’s reply as I stand in the same exact location I was when Bishop beat Dean to within an inch of his life. I’m still angry, and Bishop’s lucky he hasn’t contacted me. I wouldn’t answer his call or let him in the door—I already requested new keycards for the room in case he tries to come back. The more I think about it, the more I think Bishop planned on taking Dean’s money and my ring and hitting the road. I think he was playing Deanandme in the ultimate grift.
Jesika’s reply finally arrives.Not feeling up to it. Let’s do takeout instead. Come up!
My frown deepens. The truth is, I’m terrified to run into Dean at this point. I know I dodged a bullet sneaking in and out of their apartment the other night. By the time I was back to my hotel, I vowed to never step foot in this building again. And now, here I am. Succumbing to the chaos.
Are you sure I’m not interrupting anything? I don’t want to be in the way if your fiancé is still home recovering.
I’m not sure how else to say it. I need to make sure Dean isn’t home before I offer to waltz rightupstairs.
He’s back at work already. Staying at home all day was driving him nuts lol
Jesika’s reply resonates because it’s the Dean I know. He hated staying at home.My social talents are best honed daily, he used to say when I asked him to spend more time working from home.
Come up here so we can talk about lunch!Jesika’s next text comes from a hangry place.
“Just one more time,” I promise myself as I punch in the key code to open the garage door. This garage still has the lingering energy of violence. I can’t shake it, and I wish I’d never stayed to witness the assault because of the lasting memories it’s left me with. I was so foolish letting someone like Bishop into my life—including him was a risk that didn’t pay off.
“I’m so glad you’re here! Ugh, I’m withering away in this apartment. I feel like a boring pregnant old lady who just wants to sleep and eat all the time.” She crunches up an empty bag of Cheetos and stuffs it in the trash bin.
I laugh, finding it easy to be around her still, even after everything.
“How do you feel about stromboli?” she asks.
“What?” Her changes of topic always give me whiplash.
“There’s an Italian place around the corner that has the best stromboli in the Midwest, no contest.”
“Okay. Sounds great, then.”
“Perfect. I’ll place an order for delivery. Although…” She tilts her head to the side as she thinks. “I could have Dean pick it up and bring it home for us. Sometimes he comes home at lunchtime. He says he misses me all day, but I think he just needs a break from all the business talk.”
I can’t hear anything else she’s saying; my vision tunnels as I realize that Dean is still a complication. This is his home, this ishis fiancée, and he could walk in at any moment and discover me here, creeping all over his life like a deadly black widow.
“Order placed!” Jesika tosses her phone on the couch and turns to me. “I’m just having it delivered. I don’t want to share my stromboli with Dean. I’m eating for two already.” Jesika rubs circles on her flat stomach, and I choke on my smile.
“Oh! I have something to give you. This way.” Jesika gestures for me to follow her down the hallway. She leads me down the same corridor I was sneaking around in the other night while Dean and Jesika made love. I feel awkward having witnessed something so intimate between them, but then, I guess it’s not even the first time.
I’m reminded of this when I follow Jesika into her bedroom. The giant windows stretch floor-to-ceiling, and I can’t focus on anything but my window in the hotel across the street. I can see my neon-pink scarf tossed over the chair I was just sitting in for my therapy session—the same scarf I’ve been wearing almost every day since I arrived here. I know Jesika has seen me wearing it, and because I left it on the chair nearest the picture window in my hotel room, if she’s paying attention, she’ll know it’s mine, without a doubt. I have to get out of this hotel. I have to get away from this block. I thought it was convenient, but turns out it’s less convenient and more risky.
“I finally found a housekeeper for this place. Her first day was yesterday, and already, Dean isn’t happy with her work… He’s picky, but that’s how I know I’m special to him, because Dean will cut subpar people out of his life really quickly. He’s ruthless in life and business…and in the bedroom.” Jesika winks playfully.
I don’t have a response, because while I know Dean is ruthless, he was never worth talking about in the bedroom. His enthusiasm was lackluster at best.
