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But he gave nothing away.
Unlike Carla, my dad knew how to play the long game, and he rarely gave anything away. Breaking him down was going to take some time, especially if I wanted to get to the bottom of what they were doing. Over the next few days, I kept a close eye on Carla and kept coming up with excuses to talk to her.
Aside from her slip-up in my office, she gave nothing else away.
On the contrary, she talked about everything work related with a smile on her face and avoided all mention of us as a couple. It frustrated me to no end, but I had to assume it was because my dad was coaching her. A few days later, I overheard her on the phone with my father on the way home, and I stopped to listen.
When she hung up the phone, I hurried toward the elevator, my mind racing with possibilities. On the ride home, I kept checking my phone while the world outside whizzed past, a blur of color and movement. Jonathan dropped me off at my usual spot before he drove away. In the elevator, I kept tapping my feet and checking my watch.
Once the doors pinged open, Ron materialized out of nowhere and made a beeline for me. I caught him at the last second before the two of us went toppling onto the ground. Taylor stood a few feet behind him, one hand on her purse and the other shoved into the pocket of her coat. She gave me a thin smile when I looked over at her.
“We’ll come and pick you up later, okay?”
“Thank you, Aunty Tay.” Ron matched his stride to mine as I walked over to my apartment. In the doorway, I took the keys out of my pocket and ushered Ron in. Then I spun around to face Taylor, my heart hammering steadily against my chest.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, Rachel had an errand to run, so she asked me to keep an eye on Ron. We’re going out to dinner, so we’ll be back to pick him up later,” Taylor replied, her gaze darting everywhere but my face. “He did have a snack, so he won’t be very hungry.”
“Got it. Thanks.”
Taylor shifted from one foot to the other. “You’re welcome.”
“Hey, Tay?”
“Hmm?”
I opened and closed my mouth before shaking my head. “Never mind. I hope you both enjoy your dinner.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you around.”
“See you.”
Chapter 23: Caught
Bernard
“I won’t be gone long,” I told him, pausing to ruffle Ron’s hair. “And I’m sure you’re going to have a lot of stories to tell me when I get back.”
Ron looked up at me. “Do you have to go?”
“I’ll be back soon,” I repeated with a small smile. “While I’m gone, you be good for your mom, okay? Don’t give her a hard time.”
“I’ll try,” Ron replied. He threw his arms around me for a hug, and I held him to me, inhaling the fruity scent of him. A short while later, when he squirmed and drew away, I let him go. Slowly, I rose to my feet and watched him dart back into the apartment, brushing past Rachel, who stood in the doorway.
I still hadn’t been able to win her back.
And the divide between us felt stronger and wider than ever.
But I wasn’t giving up.
I couldn’t.
“I’m sorry about the timing,” I began, pausing to shift from one foot to the other. “I wish this was coming at a better time. I tried to postpone it.”
Rachel pushed her hair out of her face and cleared her throat. “It’s okay. I know you had a whole other life before us.”
I took a step toward her, and she froze. “I know I messed up, Rach, but I am going to make things right between us. I just need some time, and I need you not to give up on me.”
