My heart starts pounding. My hands go slick with sweat.
I finally reached the point where I didn’t think about him formonths. Maybe longer. Life has been perfectly great without him haunting my memory.
But good things don’t last when you’re Lena Joly.
Deep breath.
I hate how he still has the power to turn my stomach inside out, even after all this time. All the anxiety, the humiliation, the panic, comes rushing back.
Footsteps. He’s heading to Dr. Ezzie’s office, I think.
I wait until I hear the door close before I slip back out of the closet and shut the door behind me.
Crap, that was close.
But I can’t run. As tempting as it is to get the hell out of here, I have cleaning to do and supplies to unpack. Trish gets to head home once we close to the public, but techs don’t get that luxury.
Calm down.
Who cares if he’s here? Maybe he’s a client now.
But I didn’t hear anything about an animal. And there was nothing on Ezzie’s schedule about an appointment this late.
That’s so unlikely, it hurts. Harry Jay never showed the slightest interest in animals.
Pretty typical when you’re the bastard son of a slime mold and a scorpion.
Pure scum of the earth disguised as a charming young man with an old-timey mustache who can talk anyone into massive trouble.
At least, that’s how he was in college, when I knew him—and I seriously doubt he’s changed. If anything, he’s probably gotten worse.
I scowl as I disinfect the table, scrubbing in anger.
How am I dealing with him again? After I blocked him and his scumbag friends years ago.
I had no good reason to ever see him again.
And too much reason to think about him, to hate myself for ever falling for his crap.
Trouble is, you don’t just shrug and get over a bad relationship like that. Not after what he pulled.
My hands are shaking, and I stare at them, unsure if what I’m feeling right now is anger or embarrassment or just pure adrenaline stabbing through my veins.
But there’s only one raw emotion closing my throat, and that’s the one I won’t acknowledge.
Fear.
God, Ihatethe way he makes me feel so cornered. My brain doesn’t recognize that I’m at work and totally safe.
I force myself to finish up so I can get out of here, but about half an hour later, just as I’m grabbing my last box of supplies to bring to the back room and unpack, a deep voice calls my name.
“Lena?”
One word, half question and half hungry predator.
My body locks up. He knows I’m here.
No time to dive into a cleaning closet now.
