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I grind my teeth together before I ask him what I need to know. If I don’t try and stroke his ego, he’ll never tell me. “I’m so curious.” I want to throw up from talking to him like this. “How did you manage to monitor my computer? That was so clever.”
“It was easy. I installed some software back when I borrowed it.”
“You didn’t borrow my laptop. You took it,” I say sharply even while I’m trying to digest what he said. Is that even possible? It must be. “Why, Owen? That’s so invasive. It’s got to be illegal.”
He shrugs dismissively. “It’s not illegal at all. It might be someday, but there aren’t any laws covering that kind of thing. It’s so great that the law can’t keep up with tech anymore. Privacy’s a thing of the past. You know that perfectly well. It’snot like you cared about the privacy of those men you wrote about.”
A fresh wash of humiliation rushes over me, but I’m not going to give Owen the satisfaction of knowing he made me feel bad. “Even if it’s not illegal, it’s still wrong. How could you?”
“Alex needed a great story, not something half-assed. I read what you wrote and she was right. It wasn’t at all what was needed. I was helping her out.” His smirk’s triumphant. “That wasn’t the only reason. I was worried about you. Once I saw what you were getting up to, I knew it was a good thing for me to be keeping an eye out.”
“Keep an eye on me?” I say incredulously. “My life’s none of your business, Owen. It’s not like you cared when we were together. Why the sudden interest now?”
“Admit it, Elena. You need me.”
“I sure as hell don’t need you, Owen. Not for anything.” As usual, he keeps on talking as if I hadn’t spoken. My ex is sure in love with the sound of his own voice.
“I knew Alex would go for this kind of a feature. She’s got an eye for what’s going to hit. She has a great career and she’s going places. I knew it wouldn’t take much to get her to give you the story. Hell, I suggested it to her. I’m the reason she hired you in the first place.”
He has to be joking. Somehow I don’t think he is.
“What the hell, are you serious?” I say. “You didn’t do that. You couldn’t have.”
“I sure did. When Alex and I met, I told her you’d applied to work for her. She didn’t even notice your resume until I got her to look at it. Then I mentioned how you’d be living near those guys that run that company and could write about them. Alex went for it.”
My stomach’s twisting. “How do you know that I applied to work at City Scan?”
He beams, pleased with himself as always. “Like I told you. I saw every single thing you did on your computer. Every job application. Every single unedited blog post. Every email, every message.”
I’m speechless. I have so many questions but they all come back to one thing. “Why, Owen?” I manage. I need another drink but I can’t see my waitress.
Owen takes several swallows of his beer before he answers. “Because you and I should be back together, Elena. I was planning on giving you some time to come to your senses. When I found out that you were seeing someone else, I knew I needed to put a stop to that.”
“It’s none of your business who I’m seeing. Besides, you’re one to talk. You’re with Zan.”
“Yeah, right,” he says absently. “None of those men are any good for you. That’s why I handed over the contents of your blog to Alex. All of the drafts, not just what you posted. Every single file that you threw into the trash? I have copies. Like I said, every word you’ve ever written.”
“Did you bug my apartment too? Put cameras in it somehow?” I’m trying to be sarcastic but I really need to know if he went that far.
“No. I wouldn’t do that,” he says casually. “Although that would’ve been a good idea. Anyone who doesn’t want a spotlight on their actions is hiding something. I figured you’d get a taste of the lifestyle that you always talked about having and realize how wrong you were about wanting it in the first place. Then you’d realize you’re supposed to be with someone like me, back in the real world that most of us live in.”
I pick up my glass and slam it back down on the table. That gets his full attention. “Owen,” I say distinctly and carefully. “We’re never getting back together. No matter what. I will never get back with you. It’s over. Don’t ever try to spy on me again.”
His laugh is so arrogant, it’s almost more than I can take. “Okay.”
So now he’s calm. His mood swings are giving me whiplash. He’s claiming he wants me back and then two seconds later he just accepts that it’s over? Yeah, right.
“You’re crazy. Leave me alone. I mean it,” I say.
“Uh huh.” Owen’s gaze strays around the restaurant. As if he thinks I won’t notice that he’s checking out every other woman in here, right in front of my face.
“I don’t ever want to see you again.” I leave without waiting for his reply. I need to get away from him and it’s time to face going home. I’ve got to find the guys. I need to really explain what happened and that it wasn’t me who let our relationships slip to City Scan. It’s still all my fault and they’ll hate me forever, but at least I can let them know that I didn’t try to ruin their lives on purpose.
With a heavy heart, I walk the short distance back. At least the doorman’s nowhere to be seen. I can’t take him judging me now. He hasn’t liked me from the moment I arrived and maybe he was right. I don’t belong here. This isn’t my world.
The elevator opens up to its usual empty space and I step on. I’m relieved to be alone, right up until a hand waves in between the closing doors.
Owen forces his way into the elevator and grabs me by the shoulders. “You can’t walk away from me like that, Elena. We’re not done,” he says.
