She doesn’t respond, and when I turn to look at her, she’s staring straight through me.
“We’re not friends. This is a working relationship. That’s all it will ever be.” Her eyes dart to mine to punctuate her statement.
“I don’t expect anything from you.”
She nods, and we continue on our islands, separated by a sea of unsaid thoughts and turmoil.
It isn’t until the end of her workday that I dare to bridge the gap and speak to her unprovoked.
“I need to go check the parking lot. I want to see if anyone is out there lurking. Stay in here until I come back, and we can walk out together.”
“Doesn’t that seem a bit unnecessary?”
“No.”
“Hayes…”
“Liv, let me do what I’m here to do.”
“Fine.” She tips her head back down to her laptop, and I shut her into her office before I go down to the employee lot.
Nothing seems amiss as I check my SUV. We parked in her assigned parking spot, but threw off the routine by not driving her car. No flowers today.
I don’t like how many places there are to hide out here, and I don’t like how easy it is to get into the building. I have a visitor’s key card, but I bypassed each of the scanners because other employees were exiting for the day. I slipped back in easily.
The floor for the prosecutor’s office is empty when I exitthe stairwell, but it doesn’t concern me until I notice Liv’s door is wide open…
I shut it. I know I did.
“Liv,” I announce, but she doesn’t respond. I confirm she isn’t in her office and whip back around toward the common area. “Liv!”
My feet thunder down the silent hallway as I scan each office and room for a sign of her. “Liv!” I yell again, ignoring the tightness in my chest.
I nearly miss the water running when I pass the bathrooms. Decorum out the window, I shove into the women’s restroom and don’t take a breath until I set eyes on her.
Her startled expression finds mine in the mirror as she washes her hands. “What are you doing?”
“I told you to wait in your office.”
“I am in the office.”
“No, nottheoffice.Youroffice.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“Dammit, Liv. I’m trying to keep you safe.”
“I’m not living in fear!” She snaps back, aggressively chucking her paper towels in the trash can. If only she were as passionate about her safety as she was about hating me.
“You wouldn’t have to live in fear if you’d only listen to me and let me take care of you.”
“Yeah, sorry if I have trust issues. I’ve been burned in the past,” she flings at me as she breezes by me out to the hallway.
I sigh because I know I deserve it, but I still wish she’d give me even an ounce of the benefit of the doubt. I’m not the boy she knew a decade ago.
And, I’ll prove it.
Chapter Eleven
