I hold my hand out. “Wait, he’s?—”
Her eyebrows shoot up, but the phone is already trilling loudly.
She pulls it from her mouth. “It’s policy. I promise it is. I just need him to confirm that he knows you, even though Iknowhe knows you. I mean, I saw your spread inPeople. How was the wedding in Nice?”
My stomach turns as if I’m really pregnant, and I feel a part of Rich inside of me again. It’s the part of himself he said he’ll always give me when we make love, and he gave it to me over and over last night without me having to beg for it.
I press on my stomach and lift my mouth into a lifeless smile. “God, the wedding was like a fairytale. He made my dreams come true.”
“Wow.” She sighs. “Congratulations. You two look like you were born for each other. Those engagement pictures inPeoplewere breathtaking. Your makeup was flawless.”
I blink back a tear and gulp down the frigid lobby air while the line trills and trills until she finally hangs up.
“Darn,” she hisses. “Let me try?—”
“He’s…he’s probably still asleep. He’s a heavy sleeper. He didn’t even hear me get out of bed this morning.”
“Don’t worry. We’re gonna get you up there. You probably need to get off your feet anyway.” She waves her hand at one of the concierges strolling by. “Ernesto, can you escort Mrs. Boyd up to the 22nd floor? She’s locked out, hubby is sleeping, and she needs to get off her feet.”
He tugs the front of his charcoal-grey suit and nods at me with a smile. “Of course.”
“Just drop back by the desk when you get a chance, Mrs. Boyd. We’ll get you another key card.”
I nod as Ernesto holds his hand out toward the glass elevator. I lead the way on wobbly knees. Inside, he taps his employee key card against the card reader and the doors close.
The elevator ride up is quiet.
I stare at myself in the door’s reflection as if I’m seeing myself for the first time in a really long time.
I look different—softer, dewier, and five pounds heavier.
I stare at the column of my neck where Rich left a trail of kisses when we made love again this morning sometime between the sun coming up and the birds singing from the trees around his house.
The elevator dings and the doors open, ripping my reflection apart.
“Here we are,” Ernesto says, sticking his arm between the doors to keep them open. “Are you okay with me dropping you off here? I don’t want to disturb Mr. Boyd any further.”
“This…this is good, Ernesto. Thank you for the help.”
CHAPTER
FORTY-TWO
LOVIE
Room 2238 isat the very end of this seemingly never-ending hallway.
The mask I wore in the lobby melts away piece by piece with each step I take. By the time I get to the door, it’s lying at my feet.
I knock three times—not too hard and not too soft.
“What?” AJ yells.
His raised voice still makes my stomach drop.
“I said ‘no housekeeping’ earlier!” he yells louder and harder.
I open my mouth, but it’s too late. He’s already rustling behind the door and probably looking at me through the peephole.
