I nodded, pressing my forehead into him.
“I’m really sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I promise I won’t do that again. I’ll inform you first.”
He kissed the top of my head, a gentle, familiar gesture that undid me more than anything else could have. He held on to me as if he did not want to let go, and for a heartbeat, neither did I.
Then reality crept back in. After a couple of seconds, I realized what I had done and abruptly stepped away. “Thanks,” I said, forcing my voice to steady. “Please bring him back straight to the hotel afterwards.”
Caleb searched my face, and I knew he felt the shift. I saw it in his eyes, the understanding that this moment was not permission, that closeness did not mean forgiveness. Then he nodded, accepting what I could give and nothing more.
After he left with Lucas and Taylor, I apologized to everyone and explained the misunderstanding. I informed Alex that Lucas would be leaving for summer camp in a week.
“I need you to find Jeremy and arrest him. I don’t care what the charges are, but I need him arrested,” I pleaded with a shaky, exhausted voice.
As the words left my mouth, I realized how much I had leaned on Caleb without meaning to, how easily I could have stayed in his arms and pretended that was enough. Loving him was still easy. Walking away was not. But I knew I had to do both at once, because my heart was not the only thing at stake anymore.
Alex told me he would put out a Be-On-the-Lookout message and keep me updated.
I returned to my office and finished the meeting I had left during the emergency.
My phone rang.
I picked up.
“That didn’t feel good, did it?” Jeremy hissed. He called from a different number.
“What do you want?” I asked through clenched teeth.
“What do you think?” he paused. “You!”
He was still as sick as he had always been. He could not digest the fact that the one he wanted had gotten away. An eighteen-year-old beat him and escaped from his clutches.
“I will get to you one of these days, either at your hotel or your apartment or through Lucas,” he breathed. “I’ve been watching you for a long time now. Your apartment is lovely, by the way. Your clothes have changed as well, especially your lingerie.” He smacked his lips. “Some real fancy stuff now compared to what you had before. Then again, you do have money now. General Manager of a fancy hotel and a wealthy boyfriend… Caleb Evans.”
I stopped pacing. “We’re no longer together,” I said, forcing conviction into my voice. I had to protect Caleb.
“Oh, really?” he said. “The hug outside Lucas’s school didn’t seem like you guys were done.”
He was there. He was watching us.“I said we are not together anymore. It’s been over two weeks since we broke up. Leave him out of this.” I needed to warn Caleb. “Tell me when to meet, and let’s finish this once and for all.”
“That’s too bad,” he replied. “He does have a lot of money, which is something I need. And I need you. I suggest you patch things up. I’ll be in touch.”
He hung up.
I called Alex from the burner phone and asked him if he had started tracking my cell phone.
“Unfortunately not,” he said. “He needs to stay on the line at least ten more seconds. He’s smart.”
I sighed.
“Don’t worry, we have undercover police tailing Lucas and you, so you don’t need to stress about anything.”
Annoyed with how technology hadn’t advanced far enough to effectively track people, I said, “That’s what you said last time, and hewas so close to taking Lucas away. He’s entered my apartment. He’s followed Caleb. He’s been following Lucas and me for weeks now. How do you not know anything about that?”
“I just can’t ask my boss for extra manpower for you and your son. It doesn’t work like that, Nyah. I have to explain myself. I have to justify my actions,” Alex said in a choked-up voice.
I apologized and hung up with him.
I was terrified.
