‘Aha! Here’s the man I wanted to see!’ The doorman smiled. ‘I have a delivery for you, just signed for it. I was going to bring it up on my break.’
But Ward was shaking his head. ‘Great, but that woman, the one who just came through here a couple of minutes ago...’
Surprised by the urgency in his voice, Bruno’s face flushed with worry, it was clear something distressing was afoot. ‘What woman?’ He looked around the empty lobby space as if searching for a hint.
‘She just walked out, literally two minutes ago, right after I came back from the park. Dark hair. About five foot six or so. Pretty. Really pretty.’ Ward looked expectantly at the doorway as if Hannah might suddenly reappear out of thin air.
‘Oh, you mean Miss Ryan?’
Hearing the name confirmed made everything come into focus. Hannah hadn’t been here in this building by chance. Far from it, it seemed.
‘She lives here, then? She’s a resident?’ Ward pressed.
Bruno looked at him strangely, like he’d suddenly sprouted wings and a tail.
‘Does shelive here,Bruno?’ he demanded, already knowing the answer.
‘Well, of course, I mean technically speaking – but not for much longer it seems. Julie told me she’s vacating soon in preparation for Miss Wilde’s return.’
Ward honestly thought he might pass out.
‘Courtney Wilde? The influencer?’
‘Yes, your neighbour, in P-2. Miss Ryan has been housesitting the penthouse while Miss Wilde’s been away in Europe. I really would’ve thought you already knew this...I mean, since you and Miss Ryan work togetherandlive side by side.’ Bruno looked at him curiously. ‘Edward, are you sure you’re feeling OK?’
Chapter 69
Ward was still reeling as the reality of the situation sank in and the implications of it all came crashing down on top of him. Hannah was living in this very building, had beenstayingnext door in P-2 this entire time.
HannahwasP-2. Not Courtney.
He had been spilling his guts to her over and over, and she in turn, had been baring her soul to him.
But now that he knew, and once he’d started to connect the dots, things started to make sense...the assumption that he was old-fashioned and curmudgeonly, the cat that had decided to make its home in both places, the ‘advice’ he had supplied in the guise of helping her win over a ‘difficult’ male associate.
Hannah though, was presumably still operating in the dark. She had no idea who was on the other side of their shared wall. Worse yet, she seemed to believe him to be in love with Shelley and had made plans to move out and who knows, maybe leave the city altogether.
Then, of course, the best part.
She’s fallen in love with me, he mused incredulously, unable to believe the words even as he kept reading them over and over. But Hannah didn’t know that she had it all wrong about Shelley either. Didn’t know that he was in love with her in return. Or that there was nothing more he wanted than to be able to tell her that.
Yet, if he revealed the truth and the crazy mistake they’d both made about each other’s identity, what would happen then? Wouldn’t she feel embarrassed? Maybe feel like he abused her trust, maybe even set out to deceive her on purpose. Manipulated even?
If he walked out his door right now and went next door to knock on hers without any warning or explanation, he would look like a stalker, just like Kendrick. Same if he took to lingering in the lobby, waiting for her either to leave the building or enter it. She was far more likely to be spooked than won over.
Ward swallowed hard, recalling with embarrassment the many times he’d approached next door, angry and annoyed over trivial, insignificant stuff and taking out his frustrations, causing Hannah additional grief on top of what she had to deal with day to day. He shook his head with frustration – what a self-centred ass he’d been. And to think that all this time he was trying to reach her, to explain about the shit he’d done, she had been mere steps away.
But if he was somehow given the chance, he swore he would make it all up to her and then some.
He needed to do this the right way though. He only had one shot. Especially when it seemed the clock was ticking.
Having considered various other angles and approaches, he figured there really was only one way. He glanced over at Pretzel. ‘To think that you’ve been squatting over there all this time, while I’ve been over here wondering how to get her attention …’
He could only surmise that the cat had been traversing between the decorative window ledge running along the front of the penthouse level and jumping in and out of the openings where possible, making herself at home wherever took her mood.
Ward knew what he was about to do was a major gamble, buthe was hoping that Hannah’s curiosity and unfailing good nature would get the better of her.
‘OK.’ He exhaled, bracing himself for the slotshot of his life. ‘Here goes.’
