Wilted (20 page)

Sebastian and Skylar have been back in Austin for quite a while now. Even so, I really haven’t had a chance to talk to him more than a few times on the phone. My business meeting has gotten out early, so I decide to swing by to see how he is getting along. If I know my bull headed cousin, he’s already pushing himself way harder than necessary. Waving at his assistant, Sara, I make my way down the hall to his office. When I open the door, it’s like World War III is going on in there.

“Motherfucker!” he screams, throwing a glass paperweight off his desk. Quickly, I duck my head and narrowly miss being beheaded by it.

“Fucking hell! I surrender,” I scream, pulling the red handkerchief from my suit and waving it in the air. Judging by his face, it probably isn’t my best idea to taunt him.

“So help me Nik, don’t you
dare
start with me!”

I lean down, pick up the paperweight at my feet, and set it back on his desk. Only one side is broken, so it can be fixed pretty easily.

“What the hell is going on, dude?”

He runs his hands through his hair and looks at me with rage. “They are letting the maniac that attacked Skylar out of jail. They fucked up his arrest and now he walks.”

“Jesus! What are you going to do?”

“I’m not sure. But one thing is for sure. I’m not telling Skylar about any of this yet. She doesn’t need to be upset, especially now.”

I don’t like where he is going with this. Of course, her health needs to come first, but she deserves to know about this. It will only bite him in the ass if he keeps it from her.

“You have to tell her, Sebastian. If he is even half as crazy as you say, then you need to make her aware of the situation.”

“I’ll tell her, but just not yet. Everything is going so good for us right now. We’re together and happy with a baby on the way. She’s so excited planning the wedding and all that I don’t want to damper any of this until I have to.”

“Maybe you can take her away for a while, just the two of you. You know, until some of this shit blows over. Besides that, what if that ass tries to crash your wedding?”

“I hadn’t thought of that. Fuck! I haven’t had time to process any of this shit, to be honest. If that son of a bitch comes anywhere near her, I will kill him. The only rights he will be getting next time will be his last rites.”

“Why don’t you move the wedding date up and do it someplace away from here? Somewhere that he can’t find you.”

Sebastian looks at me blankly for a few moments and then smiles. As crazy as he’s acting, I don’t know if that is good or bad.

“That’s it, Nik!” he shouts, slapping my back hard.

“You know I’m going to need you there, right? And Skylar is going to need Kylie there, too. Do you think you two can handle being together without killing one another?”

Can I be around her and not lose my mind? I miss her so goddamn much that I don’t even know how to act if I were to have to be near her for any length of time.

Eyeing the broken paperweight, I snatch it off his desk and play with it as I battle with the thoughts in my hand. Too defeated to brush off his words, I drop into the large leather chair and stare up at the ceiling tiles above me.

“She hates me,” I admit. Just saying that out loud kills me.

“She doesn’t hate you. Well, all right, maybe she does a little, but that girl fucking loves you, Nik. Why can’t you two get your shit together?”

If only he knew. Besides, he’s one to talk. Like anything about Skylar and him has ever been simple.

“I can’t be what she wants me to be. I don’t think I ever can. When she thought she was pregnant, I freaked the hell out on her. I told her that I never wanted kids or a family. I didn’t mean it. I was just scared shitless.”

“So, what now?” Are you planning on fucking your way through Austin? Skylar and I saw you with your blonde friend the other night.”

Sabra? Sasha? Fuck, I can’t remember her name. Basically, she’s like all the rest of them. Unimportant. I’d needed a date for the event and I’d met her at a function through a friend of mine. She’s an aspiring swimsuit model and wants exposure. Everything from her posing by my side to the kiss on my lips had been planned and staged for the media. Yes, I fucking love to make the world believe I’ve moved on. Part of me just wanted to piss Kylie off enough that she’ll come back to me. I know… brilliant plan, huh? It’s why I’m damn depressed over this shit. I only keep digging my own grave a bit deeper.

“Yeah, well, she isn’t anybody. Just someone I needed for a date to something.”

“Hmm. Fuck buddy, huh?” he adds, raising his eyebrow.

Just the idea of a fuck buddy pisses me off. Without holding back, I lash out, admitting everything.

“No, goddamnit! Satisfied? I can’t even think straight without Kylie. None of my equipment works, if you get my drift. I’ve got a serious case of blue balls, man.”

Sebastian snickers and shakes his head in disbelief.

“Whoa! Wait, do you mean to tell me the infamous Nikolas Thorne hasn’t been with a woman in three months now?”

“No, dipshit. I haven’t. I can’t. I miss her so damn much it hurts.”

“Then tell her! What’s your problem?”

“She’ll leave me again, Sebastian. Just like she did before when she went to LA. Every time I get close to someone, they run. I should be used to it by now.”

“Nik, you made her run. She didn’t want to. You don’t know how many nights I’ve heard her cry on the phone with Skylar. I’m telling you, man, you need to get your shit together and fix this before you lose the best thing that has ever happened to you!”

I’m done with this conversation. Maybe I’m even more of a coward than I thought, but I can’t deal with this right now.
Why does my life have to be complete shit?
I can’t believe, after everything, he has the nerve to ask me why I don’t fix this? Without thinking, I rear my arm back and throw the paperweight against the wall of his office, watching the tiny fragments of glass shatter across the room.

“I can’t. I just fucking can’t!”

“Well, man up then, because you’re going to be on an island for a few days with her. It’s either swim with the sharks or deal with your shit.”

“Fuck me!”

“Yes, fuck you! Now, get the hell out of here. I have a wedding to plan. Unless, of course, you’d like to speak to the maid of honor?” Sebastian warns as he places his call to Kylie on speakerphone.

I’ve got to get out of here. I can’t be here when she answers. There’s no way I can bear to hear her voice.

“No fucking way! I’m out of here,” I say, throwing up my hand to wave bye.

God help me, I almost make it out the door when I hear her sweet voice. Instantly, I’m paralyzed mid-step. The best thing I can do is to force myself to keep walking, but I can’t. Even as painful as it is, her voice soothes my soul. She’s the sweetest poison I will ever know.

Laying my head against the doorframe, I take a deep breath, savoring her voice a little longer. Just hearing her talk to Sebastian makes me want to punch a wall. It takes everything in me, but I make myself leave. As I walk out of the building, I feel like my head is going to explode.
Do I love her?
Of course, I do. That isn’t even a question. The real question is: How do I survive without her?

KYLIE

All I wanted was a relaxing weekend. Just two whole days where I didn’t have to leave my house or get out of my pajamas if I didn’t want to. When I received a phone call from work this morning, I knew my plans of a quiet weekend were gone.

Pressing the button on the elevator panel, I watch the shiny metal doors close in front of me. I can’t imagine why I am being called into the office on a Sunday afternoon, but judging by the seriousness in my boss’s voice when she called, I guess it’s pretty important.

When I walk down the main hall, I notice the plaque is missing from Evan’s door. Taking a step back, I peek around to see that not only is the sign different, but his office is completely cleared of his personal items.

A sick feeling falls over me.
Am I being fired?
Pulling myself together, I take a deep breath and continue down the hall to the conference room. John Townsend and Cara Michaels are sitting behind the long conference table looking at a stack of files around them. Since working here, I’ve learned that the two of them have been married for a while, even though Cara keeps her maiden name. With two short knocks, I bring their attention to the door.

“Hello, Ms. Reynolds. Please, come on in and have a seat,” John says, standing. It’s strange to see him dressed so casually in a polo shirt and cargo shorts.

“You wanted to see me?” I ask as I nervously look at Cara.

“Yes, but before we speak, I need you to understand that what we are about to tell you cannot leave this room. Can we count on you for that?”

“Yes, absolutely.”

“Good, very good.” She leans forward, places a small silver device on the end of the table, and then waves her hand over it.

“Do you know what that is, by chance?”

“I’m not sure, to be honest. A camera, of some sort?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, it’s just that.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“Our tech guys were adjusting some equipment over the weekend and found this in the overhead vent in your office. It was positioned just over your desk. As you can imagine, we immediately began to worry about the confidentiality of our company and our clients.”

“My office?” I reply astonished. “I assure you, I did not put that there. I would never do anything to hurt this company.”

Cara shakes her head and waves her hand to stop me. “No, no, no. You misunderstand us, Ms. Reynolds. We never once believed it you would have done this. John and I were worried about why someone else would put it there. When the tech people moved into Evan’s office to see if there were any more cameras, they found several questionable things. Once we were informed of them, we asked that all laptops and devices owned by Telko be removed and examined. That is when we discovered this.”

When she turns the laptop in front of her around, I’m astonished at what I see. Staring back on the screen is a picture of me. Confused, I study it carefully, and my mouth drops as the realization hits me. I reach for the laptop and grip it tight. No matter how many times I look at it, I still can’t believe what I’m seeing.

“This was taken in my office. I-I don’t understand. Why would he have-” I’m interrupted before I can continue.

“Ms. Reynolds, when we went through this laptop, we found over five hundred pictures of you. Most are still shots taken from that camera. I don’t know how to say this, but we believe that Mr. Pierce has been watching you for some time now.”

“I just don’t know what to say. What do I do now?”

“Well, first of all, we want you to know that Mr., Pierce has been relieved of his duties here at Telko. He’s not only been banned from this building, but also the condo he occupies, as well. When we analyzed this computer, we found that he has been improperly using client information for his own personal use. We will be prosecuting him for violations against this corporation. Our legal team will be taking formal statements from employees regarding what they may know about this. It’s just a technicality to protect our company and the clients we represent.”

“Yes, of course. I understand.”

“Ms. Reynold’s… Kylie, we’re not trying to alarm you, but we think it’s best that we relocate you to another residence, especially given the circumstances. We don’t feel it is safe for you to continue staying in the complex you’re in now.”

“Do you really think that’s necessary?”

“Can you give us a moment alone, John?”

“Yes, of course,” John replies. He nods in my direction and then leaves the conference room. Once the tall, wooden door is closed, Cara stands and comes to take a seat beside of me.

“Kylie, I’m going to be frank with you. You’re a beautiful girl, and this city is scary enough without dealing with some stalker guy, but you really need to consider doing whatever it takes to protect yourself.”

“Yes, ma’am, I will.”

“Honestly, with all the legal issues that Mr. Pierce will be facing, I really don’t think he’ll be bothering you. Trust me, he is
extremely
worried about potential jail time over this matter, as it is. When we confronted him about the camera and what we found, he was quite embarrassed. We warned him not to contact you in any way, so if that happens, you need to inform us immediately. If he scares you, then you call the police and allow them to deal with him. I don’t believe in being too safe when it comes to things like this. ”