Say Nothing... (The Speak Series Book 2) (38 page)

Letty and I spent the weekend in my apartment. The enormity of the situation has set in, and she's right, this isn't close to being over. Amos said it himself that he won't leave me alone until I'm his, which is never happening. So now what?

"I'm going to go get ready," I say punching stop on the treadmill. It's Monday, and as much as I want to hide under my covers, I have bills to pay.

"Okay. I'll head back with you."

I'm in the elevator on the way up to my office just a couple of hours later. I have nervous butterflies in my stomach at the thought of facing Natalie. In dealing with all of my drama, I've completely forgotten she's now involved. How do you tell someone the guy they're head over heels for is a fucking psycho?

I only see it going two ways; she'll either believe me and be thankful or call me a liar and hate me for ruining her relationship.

Jeremy is taking a call at the reception desk when I walk in. He hangs up as I approach.

"Good morning. Did they demote you to receptionist?" I ask playfully. He's been a nice addition to the office; I also think he has feelings for Natalie. He's been grouchy with her since she got the flowers.

"Funny. That was Natalie, and she sounds horrible. She's not coming in today."

"Okay. I'll cover the phones. Just let me know if you need anything."

Natalie has more experience, so she helps him with some of the paralegal type stuff.

"Will do."

The day went by without any major hiccups. Ben sounded a lot happier than usual on our afternoon call. His four weeks is up on Friday. He hasn't told me if he's coming home or staying in London, and I'm too afraid of his answer to ask. My stomach flutters with nervous energy as I drive to Dr. Stone's office. I used the number she gave me for emergencies after talking to Ben on Saturday. She wanted to see me in her office as soon as possible.

Crazy cat lady greets me as I walk in.

"She'll be with you in a few minutes," she says looking at the door then back at me.

"No boyfriend this time?" I haven't seen her since my first appointment, and the thought of Ben's face, when she hit on him, makes me smile.

"Nope, just me." Her shoulders sag in disappointment.
Sorry, honey, I feel the same way.

The door opens a few minutes later, and Dr. Stone waves me in. I make myself comfortable on the fluffy couch and get ready for the inquisition. I go over every detail of what happened at the bar and her wrist must be sore from all of the notes she seems to be taking.

"So tell me more about Rudy."

"There's not much to tell. We dated in high school and ran into each other a few months ago when I was out with Ben. I met him for lunch, he confessed that he still had feelings for me, and I hadn't seen him since."

"Does Ben know that he still harbors feelings for you?"

"Yes, and naturally, he's not happy about it."

"Does he know that you spent the night with him?"

My shoulders stiffen. "I didn't spend the night with him. I was in a messed-up situation, and he offered me his spare bedroom. It wasn't like that," I snap.

"Do you think Ben will see it that way?" No, I think he'll lose his damn mind as I would if the situation were reversed.

"No, but maybe when I explain the alternative . . . Going back to an empty apartment would have been stupid and unsafe. I'm hoping he'll see reason."

"So you're planning to tell him?"

I let out an exasperated sigh. "Yes, okay. You and Letty are right. I should have been forthcoming from the beginning. In sparing his feelings, I've put myself in harm’s way."

"Exactly. You're finally listening," she says giving me a smug smile.

"I think he's the only one who can stop this. Amos seems like a very determined man."

"I think he's proved that in his actions, don't you?" I nod, and just like that, the timer dings and our time is up.

"I'd like to keep your appointment on Thursday if you don't mind."

Not at all
. I need all the therapy I can get my hands on right now. Especially, since I plan to tell Ben.

"I don't mind at all. I'll see you Thursday."

It’s Friday, and I'm surprising Ari today. After a long conversation with Mr. Rummel, Larry was able to convince him that he needed me back in L.A. I'm thankful he left out my personal reasons. Taylor wasn't happy about it, but he reluctantly agreed. I've been able to work out my flight plan so I'll be back in L.A. by the time Ari gets home from work tonight.

I've just landed in New York; I have at least another hour before our afternoon call. I've worked really hard this week not to tip her off. Not that it’s been difficult. She seemed distracted and short every time we talked. Something I plan on remedying tonight. We need to have a long talk, and I plan to get some answers, even if I have to shake them out of her.

Grabbing my carry-on from the overhead bin, I head out in search of coffee. I've been too excited to sleep, and it's starting to catch up with me. There's a Starbucks near my connecting flight, and I make sure to order an extra shot of espresso.

It's dinnertime, and I laugh at Ari's
Back to the Future
reference. If everything goes as planned, I'll be doing dinner all over again in a few hours. The barista hands me my coffee, and I make myself comfortable in an empty armchair. I bring up Facebook on my cell and scroll through to waste time before our call. The TV is set to an entertainment news show and the host is carrying on about the latest Kardashian drama. I can't help but roll my eyes. Right before going to commercial, a picture of a couple flashes across the screen. The girl in the picture looks a lot like Ari, and I pass it off as exhaustion until she continues. "Rudy Torres, the newest player for the Los Angeles Galaxy, may have already found love in L.A. More for you when we get back." The screen fades to black as they go to commercial.

My pulse picks up and it's not from the coffee.
There's no way. She wouldn't
. I repeat to myself. It's the longest three minutes of my life, and I'm about to rip the damn TV from the wall when the show finally comes back. After another three minutes of bullshit celebrity drama, there it is. Picture after picture of Ari and Rudy. One of them getting into her car, another one of them going into a parking structure. The nail in my coffin is a picture of her coming out of his apartment the next morning wearing the same outfit. It's the worst fucking case of Deja vu I've ever had. The blood rushing in my ears keeps me from hearing what they have to say.

My phone rings and her name flashes across the screen, just as they break for commercial. Her timing is impeccable.

"I thought I asked you never to see him again," I grit.

I'm barely keeping it together, and if I wasn't in an airport, I think I would have already smashed half of the shit in here. Her silence is making me nervous, and I can hear her walking.

“What are you talking about?” she asks.

“Rudy,” his name is like acid on my tongue.

"It's not what you're thinking, Ben. I got caught up in a situation, and he was there and it's complicated, okay. He was just being a friend. He knows we're together."

"Situation? So my girlfriend's in trouble, doesn't tell me about it, and her ex, who’s still in love with her, just happens to be there? Did I get that right?" I spit.

"Yes. It sounds horrible I know, but-"

"Sounds horrible. That's not even the worst of it. There are pictures, Ari. Tons of pictures of you coming out of his apartment, of you hugging him, kissing his face. You spent the night?" I've raised my voice, and the security guard is starting to take notice.

"I did, but nothing happened. Please, I'm just asking you to trust me. I promise you it's not what you think. I'll tell you everything. Just let me sort it out. Please."

"Do you still love him, Ari?"

"No," she answers quickly.

"You trusted him with something you won't share with me. You must still feel something for the guy, if you’re willing to jeopardize us to do that."

"What are you saying? It's not like that, babe, please. I love you so much. You have to believe me," she says through a cry.

"I want to, but you've made it really hard. You won’t talk to me, so I don't know what to believe anymore."

I hang up, as I’m unable to handle the sounds of her quiet sobs. The overhead speaker announces that my flight is boarding. I grab my carry-on and prepare myself for the longest five-and-a-half-hour flight of my life.

My hands tremble as I stare at the blank screen of my phone. Letty and Dr. Stone warned me this would happen. Now, I'm hoping it's not too late to fix it. My lunch break is nearly over; I still have half a day of work to get through before I can talk to him again—if he even takes my call. I'm hoping a night’s sleep will calm him. I text him a quick I love you and check my face before heading back up to the office.

Turning the corner to get back to my desk, I’m surprised to see Natalie. She's been gone almost the whole week. She called out Monday and Tuesday and has been helping Jeremy and Mr. Dietrich in court for the last two days. I've tried calling and texting, and she hasn't returned any of my messages.

"Hey, stranger, feeling better?" I ask.

"Fine, thanks," she says coldly. Jeremy is placing a file on her desk when she answers, and he looks at me questioningly. I shrug my shoulders and take a seat at my desk.

"Can I talk to you in the conference room?" She waited for Jeremy to close the door to his office before asking.

"Sure." She pushes away from her desk angrily, and I follow her into the small room that sits across from her.

"Are you mad at me? Why haven't you returned any of my calls?"

"I need you to stop coming on to him. You already have Ben."

"Wait. What?" I ask confused.

"Gabe. Amos. Whatever you call him. He told me that you keep coming on to him and that it's starting to get uncomfortable because you’re with his nephew."

I feel like she just sucker-punched me in the gut. She can't be fucking serious.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, Natalie, and maybe if you would have answered my calls this week, I could have warned you that your boyfriend is a fucking psycho. He's been stalking me since I was a teenager."