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Me: I couldn’t ask you to do that.
Max: You didn’t. I offered. Tell me where and when.
I text him the time and address, secretly thrilled that he’s coming with me. The thought of going alone is terrifying, and with Ellie looking after Tilly, I don’t have many other options.
I haven’t told Tilly about any of this yet. I don’t want to worry her until I absolutely have to. She’s a bright kid, and I know it won’t be long until she picks up that something is wrong, but I need a plan of attack figured out first.
I glance at the clock and sigh. It’s barely even noon. I’m so tired I’m struggling to keep my eyes open. The thought of doing anything makes me even more exhausted, so I resort to parking my ass on the sofa. With the TV running I lie down, a blanket covering me.
I drift in and out of sleep during the next few hours until it’s almost four. I force myself to get up and shower, convinced the hot water will wake me up. It does, but the three coffees I have afterward do an even better job.
As I’m finishing off the last of the third coffee, I think about Aiden. I really want to go and visit him, but I don’t want to risk running into Heather. I have nothing to say to her and I don’t trust myself to be civil if I do see her. Besides, the last thing I need from her is another lecture about how I’m wronging her son.
It’s 5:45 and I’m standing out the front of the building where Kaitlin’s office is, waiting for Max. I’m so nervous. I feel sick, the nausea increasing when I see Max round the corner. He smiles that sexy, crooked smile, making my heart pound faster.
My hands fidget as he approaches me. I smile at him, confused by the way my heart flutters whenever I see him. These feelings are so new and raw that I’m just not used to them.
“Hey,” he says when he reaches me. He smiles warmly and I grin back. “Shall we go in?”
“I guess so,” I say. I’m so nervous. If Max wasn’t here to go in with me, there is a good chance I would’ve run. What if she does have a case and I could actually lose Tilly?
No. Not going to happen.
Taking a deep breath, I grip the door handle and pull, holding the door open for Max. He walks inside and I follow, my eyes scanning the small foyer. We walk over to the elevators and I find her name on the information list next to the elevator buttons.
“Floor four, 12A,” I mumble. I reach out and press the up button, ignoring how shaky my hands are.
“It’ll be fine, I promise,” Max assures me. The elevator opens and we walk inside. If my mind wasn’t already stressed about Heather, I’d be panicking about being in such a small space with Max. Everything about him is magnified: his musky smell, the way his jaw twitches when he thinks, the intense energy locked in those deep blue eyes…
“Are you coming?”
I snap back to reality and realize the doors have opened and Max has exited the elevator. My face heats as I step out onto the carpeted floor. Thank God he can’t read my mind.
We find Kaitlin’s office and are directed by her assistant to take a seat in the waiting area. We are the only ones there, and I take comfort in the fact that we won’t be waiting too long.
“It shouldn't be too long,” the receptionist assures me, reading my mind. Before I can answer, a woman who looks to be in her mid-thirties walks out, dressed in a dark blue skirt and matching jacket. Her light brown hair is smoothed back into a bun. Her green eyes lock on mine and she smiles.
“You must be Kiara,” she says, her voice warm.
I stand up and take her outstretched hand. It's warm, too, and in a way I find comfort in her gesture.
“Follow me,” she says. Max and I walk behind her and into a conference room consisting of a long table surrounded by oversized leather chairs. She motions for us to sit down, so we do. She sits opposite us, the area in front of her covered with folders and stacks of papers.
“Excuse the mess,” she laughs. “All I need is another fifteen hours in the day and I’ll be fine.”
I chuckle, wishing she’d get to the point. Guilt rushes through me as I remind myself that this woman is going out of her way to help me.
“Okay, enough small talk, let's get down to business,” Kaitlin declares, pushing her papers aside. “First off, is this your boyfriend?” she asks, raising her eyebrows at Max.
My eyes widen and I shake my head.
“I only ask because your current relationship status is likely to come up at some point.”
“He's just a friend offering support,” I reply. I don't look at Max as I say those words because, truth be told, I have no idea what we are. All I know is anything that is going to harm my chances of keeping my daughter will not be happening.
“Okay.” Kaitlin takes a deep breath and leans back in her chair. “I've gone over the case notes and everything you emailed me. I just want to go over it all again to make sure I have my facts straight. I need complete honesty from you, okay?”
I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat. While I love how direct she is, she’s also intimidating the hell out of me.
