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Christopher is waiting for me outside the building and jumps right into motion when I step out on the pavement.
“Where to?”he asks, as he opens the door for me.
“Home.”
He nods and closes the door, before he walks around the car and takes his seat behind the wheel. I check my phone as soon as we start driving and find a bunch of messages from Gabe. Gabe, who’s acting like an idiot right now, because his old college girlfriend came back straight from hell, just to mess with his head. I know he has been seeing her again, even though he refuses to admit it. We just had lunch a couple of days ago and it’s been painfully obvious that he’shead over heels. Again. For a girl who will only break his heart, again.
That’s what happens when you fall for the trap called ‘love’. It’s simply idiotic. And Gabe is an even bigger idiot for letting it happen twice,withthe same girl.
But when I notice the subtle flutter within my chest, as Christopher turns into the street that leads to my penthouse, I wonder if I may be just as much of an idiot. I know who is waiting for me upstairs—and I can’t wait to see her.
We pull up the driveway a few minutes later, and I step out of the car with a little bounce in my step that doesn’t go unnoticed by Christopher.
“Good meeting?”he asks, after closing the door behind me.
Yes, but my dumb grin has little to do with that, I’m afraid.
“Guess you could say that,” I tell him, meeting his smile with my own. “Thanks, Christopher. You’re off for the day. Go home to your family.”
His smile widens. His shift doesn’t end for another three hours, but I’ve made it a habit to let him go home early, especially since his baby was born. I really am growing soft.
“Thank you, sir,” he replies, visibly happy. “I will see you tomorrow.”
I say goodbye to him and make my way to the elevator, stubbornly ignoring my racing heartbeat, when I push the buttons on the panel.
She’s not in the living area when I enter the penthouse, but that doesn’t surprise me. Kat likes to stay in her room, usually immersed in a book.
And that’s exactly where I find her. She’s curled up in the armchair beneath the window, wearing a way too large knitted sweater and bright leggings, surrounded by her piles of books, and her nose deep between the pages of the one she has in her lap. She left her door open—which is new—and looks up when I knock on the door frame.
“Oh, you’re back,” she says.
Her hair is tied up in a messy bun, with loose strands falling down on both sidesof her face. She’s not wearing any make-up, but has never looked more pretty to me.
I may be even more fucked than I thought I was.
“Are you hungry?” I ask. “I was just about to order something for dinner.”
Her eyes flit to the book in her lap, before she nods. “Uh, ya, sure. I haven’t eaten anything.”
She’s barely here, her mind lost in whatever world I just ripped her out of. I envy her for being able to lose herself in a book like that. It’s a privilege I seem to have long lost, as other things have become more important.
“Okay, let’s figure something out,” I tell her, waving for her to follow me as I move back to the living area. My eyes fall on the piles of books again, before I leave.
This isn’t right. She deserves better.
I need to do something about that.
Chapter 24
Kat
Johnny glares at me, his yellow eyes turned to narrow slits as he pierces me down with his stare. He never liked me, I think, and merely tolerated my existence when I was still invadinghis home territory as an unwanted guest.
He’s sitting on Mrs. Warden’s lap, fiercely protective of the only human he loves, and obviously unwilling to share her affection with anyone else.
I’ve never been much of a cat person, but with this guy, a little black devil who attacked my feet every time I walked by, I can honestly say that the dislike is mutual.
“So, how have you been my dear?” Mrs. Warden asks, a warm smile gracing her face. Her hand is shaking when she lifts the tea up to her lips, and it looks like she has lost even more weight. I feel like she was already getting thinner by the day when I was still living with her, but now it’s even worse. Not even two weeks have passed since I last saw her and she looks so much more frail that I’m beginning to seriously worry.
