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It’s so good to have found her. I’ve been looking for hours. For an instant, my concerns about the spying, the theft of information, and my next launch all take the back seat. All I can think is that it is so good to see her.
“I didn’t have anything to do with Clarice,” Gwen says. Her eyes burn with defiance. She clears her bangs away, then gestures down at the two women, still whispering together by the water. “I think those two set me up… for something. I don’t really get it, but I heard them talking about it.”
Now, a new kind of relief mixes in with the emotions already swirling in my body.
She’s innocent.
Kate was right.
Gwen wouldn’t betray me. She’s not like that.
“I should never have listened to Brian Campbell,” I say, though I’m so flooded right now with care for Gwen that I barely register my own words.
Who cares about Brian or how he steered me wrong? I can’t waste time feeling resentment when Gwen stands here on this sunlit path right in front of me.
It doesn’t matter to me that Vanessa and Clarice are both glaring.
Clarice leads the way toward us. Vanessa follows.
As they breeze past, Vanessa pauses. “Brock… I’m sorry. For putting on an act with you.”
Clarice reaches for Vanessa’s arm and tugs it. “What are you doing?” she hisses.
It hits me, then. Vanessa’s seductive tactics weren’t an attempt at becoming Mrs. Benson, like I assumed. She was after my launch plan.
She was after it, and she got it.
She snuck onto my laptop in my home office. She had so many chances that night at my house.
What an idiot I was to overlook her.
Clarice keeps tugging at Vanessa’s arm. Soon, they’re both traipsing along the path, clearly intent on putting as much distance between me and them as possible.
I expect to feel mad about the retreat, but I don’t.
I’ll deal with setting Clarice straight another time. My lawyer will help. I have a more important matter to attend to right now.
Gwen deserves an apology.
In the distance, I hear Vanessa’s shouts. “Cocoa Bear, where are you going? You little rascal, come back here!”
Gwen shakes her head. “Those two… they were scamming you or something?”
“Not important,” I say, my tone deep, husky, true. “All I really care about right now is that you know I’m sorry. I’ll be honest with you. I was scared… of this. Of how I feel. Took an excuse, bailed, and…” I reach my hand up and rake my fingers through my hair. My exhale comes out in a rush.
I wish I could explain in a way that makes sense.
I don’t know if I’ll be able to.
Her eyes search mine. “What are you saying, Brock? I don’t want to get it wrong again. I think I read too far into things before. Now you’re here… Are you here to see me or because of something else? I’m pretty sure I saw your friends in the lot earlier. Are you looking for them?”
I shake my head. “I’m here for you. To find you, Gwen. To talk to you. You’re what I care about.”
A branch pokes my leg.
Her wide eyes flicker with amusement. The corner of her mouth twitches. “You’ve got a friend.”
Is that what that tickling feeling is, down at my ankle?
