Every Breath You Take (Oasis Book 1) (14 page)

On Monday, Tucker greeted me at my desk with coffee and a pastry.

“Good,” I said, gesturing for him to sit. “I have a list of tasks for you.”

“Which means you spent the entire weekend working instead of playing.”

I smiled. “I’ll have you know, I went to the beach and went shopping. That’s about as far from work as you can get.”

“I’m impressed. I figured you’d be here all weekend.”

Rolling my eyes, I said, “What did you do?”

“Babysat my brother’s dog. Pain in my ass.”

I snorted into my coffee. “Why’s that?”

“Dog’s ugly and has to go out every half an hour.”

Grabbing my pen, I said, “Yes, that’s good. Report.”

“On the babysitting?”

“You did it here, right?”

“Yeah, there’s hair all over my apartment now, too.”

I waved away the comment. “No, the dog park. I haven’t gotten up to the recreational area of Housing yet. Swing sets for the kids, right? And grass for the dogs?”

“Oh,” Tucker said, catching on. “Hold on, let me get my coffee.”

He walked out, then returned and sat again. “Right. First, not many kids up there. I think the benches need umbrellas for when it gets hotter.”

I nodded, taking notes in my Housing file. I’d made a separate one for each sector to stay organized. The more information I gathered, the more files I was going to have to make. Even the idea of files relaxed me. Order comforted me, made me feel like my life wasn’t chaos. Like I hadn’t fallen apart so many times, or if I had, I was getting on track now.

“More bag stations,” Tucker continued.

I looked up. “Bag stations?”

“You know, where you can get a bag to clean up after your pet.” He made a face. “And then dispose of it.”

Laughing, I set down the pen for my coffee. “Is it all pets or just your brother’s dog that you don’t like?”

“Like I said, my brother’s dog is exceptionally ugly. But…yeah, all dogs. Pretty much. I used to have a girlfriend who had one of those really small ones people like to put sweaters on. She carried it around in a pink purse. I’m pretty sure she liked that dog more than me throughout our whole relationship. And when we broke up…she
definitely
liked the dog more than me.”

“What are you doing this Saturday evening?” I asked.

Tucker frowned. “Please don’t ask me to watch your dog. Two weekends in a row would probably kill me.”

“I don’t have a dog.”

“Not your cat either, though–”

“I don’t have a cat.” I smiled him. “I have a neighbor. She works in Main at the daycare. Lots of kids, so I’m sure she can empathize.”

He smirked. “Still trying to set me up?”

“I’m going dress shopping with Leslie and I thought I’d see if Paige wanted to come. We’re going to dinner afterward. It’ll be fun. Less awkward because you already know Leslie.”

“And I’ll be the only guy with a bunch of hot women. Not a bad deal. Unless you’re bringing Moore.”

“Bringing Moore where?” a voice said from the doorway.

Tucker swiveled in his seat. “Mr. Moore. Good morning.”

Finn’s lips curved just slightly as his eyes met mine. “Gossiping on a Monday. I think you both need more work.”

Tucker’s ears reddened, making me laugh. “We’re talking about how to improve the outdoor rec area in the Housing Community.”

“And my name came up how?”

Tucker glanced at him, then stood when the phone rang like he was relieved to have something to do. “I’ll get that.”

After he left, Finn walked in, eyes squinted in a smile. “I make him nervous.”

“You make most people nervous,” I said.

“It’s not intentional. So where are you bringing me?”

“Nowhere. I mentioned I’m going dress shopping with Leslie and hopefully Paige, my neighbor who hides every time you come around. She must be intimidated, too.”

He smiled. “Is she hot?”

Laughing, I said, “You’d probably think so. She’s got that bad girl teacher vibe. But I’m trying to set her up with Tucker, so I invited him to dinner on Saturday.”

He sat in the seat opposite me. “And I’m not invited?”

“Well, I didn’t think…I don’t know.” Nervous myself now, I grabbed my coffee cup and held it between my hands long enough to turn them red.

“You think it’ll be strange because we work together?”

“Maybe a little. And we’re just, you know…figuring things out.”

“I’d like to go. Be your date and see you out, having a good time. I promise I won’t make people nervous. Intentionally.”

I licked my lips, then stopped when I saw Finn’s gaze drop. “I’ll think about it.”

“Please do.”

“Did you need something?”

Finn’s face went serious instantly. He scooted to the edge of the chair, as if he had a secret to tell me or wanted to keep his voice low. “Powell called a few minutes ago and asked to speak with us. He said he had something to show us.”

“What?”

Finn shook his head. “He didn’t say. I wanted to tell you first. Make sure it’s okay for him to come up.”

“Of course.” But my hands shook, and I returned the mug to my desk. “In here or…?”

“Let’s go to my office. More privacy,” Finn said.

He stood at the same time I did, but didn’t turn for the door. My stomach swirled with nerves, and I couldn’t pull off the smile I tried to give Finn.

“It’s something bad, isn’t it?” I asked.

Finn met me at the side of the desk, his hand firm and steady on my elbow. “Charlotte, I’m here for you, okay? He didn’t sound overly concerned. I think like me, he’s taking a few extra precautions. It’ll be fine.”

I nodded. It’d be fine. Finn was right. It had to be fine because I had to deal with this. I didn’t have a choice. I decided this was it, no backing down, so I had to face it.

“Come on,” Finn said.

He led me to his office. I told Tucker to hold any calls on the way, and Finn informed Leslie that Curtis would be coming up shortly and to send him right in.

Inside the office, Finn closed the blinds and gestured to the table. “We can sit here.”

Shaking my head, I started to pace. “I can’t sit.”

Finn didn’t respond. He only pocketed his hands and looked out the window, his familiar position that was both relaxed and watchful. We both turned when we heard the elevator ding, and waited for Curtis to walk in.

He smiled at me as he paused at the side of the table. “Ms. Evans. Good to see you again.”

He shook Finn’s hand and took the seat he was offered. Finn joined him, but I stayed behind the chairs, unable to sit.

“Sorry to come up on such short notice,” Curtis began, “but we’ve been monitoring all deliveries that have come into Housing and Business–”

“Why?” I asked, giving Finn a swift glance.

In his calm voice, Curtis said, “After the incident with the locker room and in the Commons, I suggested to Mr. Moore we tighten up security some, particularly in those two communities. No visitors unless we had confirmation from the tenant or someone who worked in the office. Visitors already check in downstairs in both communities, but they’re still allowed access to the upper floors.”

My gaze swept Finn’s again. So he hadn’t told Curtis about the rose. Or at least, not that either was saying right now. My stomach still twisted in a knot.

“Go on,” Finn said.

Curtis nodded. “One of the guards in Housing mentioned this morning he had a visitor trying to make a delivery for Ms. Evans.”

My hands squeezed tight on the back of a chair. Finn held my gaze for a long moment, steady enough to make me calm down some. Enough to prepare to hear Curtis’s next words.

“When the guard refused to let him up without getting in contact with you first for confirmation, the man got upset. He ran from the lobby, but dropped something on his way out. Our guard couldn’t catch him, but we retrieved this.”

Curtis pulled a clear plastic bag out of his pocket and set it on the table. Inside was a card similar to the one attached to the flower I received on Friday.

“According to the guard,” Curtis said, “this was inside a wrapper that also contained two roses.”

I leaned in to read the note.
I’m watching
.

My breath caught. Finn slid the note closer to read it. His jaw clenched and he stood, walking around the table to touch my arm.

“You can sit down,” he said.

My legs wobbled, but I couldn’t move.

Curtis met my eyes. “The guard mentioned you got a similar delivery over the weekend.”

I nodded.

“One flower, similar note,” Finn said. “I have it if you’d like to see it.”

My gaze whipped up to meet his. “You kept it?”

“In case,” Finn said, voice low.

“That was smart,” Curtis confirmed. “Ms. Evans, I’m sorry to bring you such disturbing news so early in the morning.”

“No, it’s fine,” I said, my voice coming out a whisper. I boosted some energy into it and forced myself to meet Curtis’s eyes. “I appreciate you coming right away to tell us.”

“This changes things,” Finn said.

He didn’t look at me, but I knew he was talking to me. He wanted more. He wanted to know what happened. Maybe he needed it in order to figure this out. And what about Curtis? Would he want to know more, too?

Curtis stood. “I apologize for intruding, but if there’s more that’s going on, it would help to know. All of it.”

My lungs tightened. Air barely wheezed through. Finn’s face swirled before me as my heart thumped out of control.

“I need…” I clasped Finn’s arm for a moment, unable to get the words out. “I just–need a minute–”

“Charlotte.” Finn’s eyes dashed across my face. Whatever he saw there made his eyes narrow. “The restroom.”

I turned, my gaze zeroing in on the room next to the bar. I clasped a hand to my chest, the pressure so intense I was worried I wouldn’t make it there. But I put one foot in front of the other. Finn released me when I got to the door, and I felt their eyes on me when I shut myself inside.

Sitting on the toilet seat, I yanked in shallow breaths until I remembered how important it was to control my thoughts and my breathing. To stop fighting the feeling that I might pass out. Or that the world would stop turning. That I might die right here in Finn’s bathroom before I had a chance to really live my life.

Closing my eyes, I visualized air going in and out of my lungs. Expand. Contract. My heartrate slowed. I could feel my limbs relaxing, all of me melting into a puddle of calm on the toilet seat.

A soft knock on the door startled me, and I stood.

“Charlotte?” Finn said.

“I’m coming. Just a minute.”

I stood at the sink and splashed water on my face. Then I dabbed it with one of the soft towels that sat on the counter. Staring at myself in the mirror, I was surprised to see stony eyes, a set jaw, and shoulders back. I wasn’t the same Charlotte I’d been when I’d gotten together with Mark. Or with Finn for that matter.

In that moment, I made the decision to work with Finn and Curtis, to do whatever it took to get past this mess with Mark and get on with my life.

When I left the bathroom, Finn was the only one in the office.

“Where’s Curtis?” I asked.

Finn turned from the window, his hands in his pockets. “I told him I’d get in touch with him later. He had work to do anyway.”

I blew out a breath and gave him a smile. “Okay. So, now what?”

He angled his head. “What do you mean?”

“I…” I dropped my chin, searching for words. “I need to take care of this. If it’s not Mark, then something else is going on. Either way, I want it to stop.”

I heard Finn’s footsteps as he walked to me, shiny shoes stopping in my view. His fingers slid under my chin, tipping my face so he could see my eyes. “I think that’s very brave of you.”

“I don’t feel brave,” I admitted. “I feel like a coward because I didn’t stand up to him in the first place. If I’d just–”

Clamping my lips together, I shook my head. No, I didn’t want to bring this all back up. Especially not to Finn.

“What?” Finn asked, his thumb brushing my cheekbone. “You can talk to me, Charlotte. I can’t help but think if we never…split up, or if I’d just been decent about it, not such an ass, you might never have met Mark. Or not gotten together with him. Shit.” Finn bit off another curse and set his jaw. “This is bullshit. Who does he think he is?”

“Finn, we don’t know for sure it’s him–”

“It’s him. And if he comes anywhere near you, I’ll kick his fucking ass.”

“Finn.” I choked on the word. “Just…don’t do anything until we have all the facts. And don’t–you can’t touch him–”

“Like hell!” he exploded.

Backing up, I wrung my hands, my chest squeezing tight. That was the last thing I needed, Finn tracking down Mark and doing something that would get him in trouble.