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“I love you,” she whispers, her eyes falling closed. I grab her hand and hold it tightly, my eyes roaming over the room. I spot the house phone and jump up, rushing to grab it. I press the buttons with shaking fingers, and just as I lift it to my ear, I see him.
Black clothes, bright blue eyes, and hands stained with blood. He freezes and I drop the phone, my every instinct telling me to run.
He takes a step toward me, and my cries turn into sobs. I take a step back, my back hitting the wall, and that’s where both my dreams and memories end. The last thing I remember before everything went black was him turning his back to me as he walked away, leaving my life in pieces.
“Aria?”
I look up to find Riley standing by my desk. His expression tells me he must’ve been standing here for a while now, and I immediately feel guilty.
“I’m sorry,” I tell him, but he shakes his head.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, of course,” I say, my tone defensive. Riley smiles at me, but I see the worry in his eyes, and I hate that. I’ve worked so hard to leave my past behind me, yet every time I have one of these nightmares it feels like I’m still that little girl, helpless and alone.
“Would you like to join me for lunch?” he asks, glancing around uncomfortably. I pause, my eyes roaming over the empty office. I didn’t even realize everyone had left. How long has Riley been standing here?
“I… um.” I don’t know what to say. I feel like Riley has disliked me from the second we met, and it’s making me uncomfortable that he’s trying so hard to hide it just because he’s my manager. “Sure.”
He tips his head toward the door, and I grab my purse to follow him. The silence between us is awkward, and I’m not sure how to deal with it. I’m surprised when he leads me out of the building and not to the company cafeteria.
“Where are we going?”
Riley smiles at me. “You’ll see.”
I hate surprises, but I have a feeling that telling him that would just result in more tension between us.
He leads me into what appears to be a huge garden, with a dozen picnic tables spread around. “Wow,” I whisper, following him to one of the tables. “This place is incredible.”
Riley grins in satisfaction as we sit down. “I’m sorry,” he says. “The way I acted on your first day of work was unacceptable. We’ve not really gotten along ever since, and it’s all my fault. Honestly, I’m surprised Gray let me get away with it at all. I guess he knew you’d be able to meet any challenge I could set, and you’ve really proven yourself over the last couple of months.”
He looks away, glancing at the menu instead. “You were right. You’re untraceable. I’ve been trying to track every single digital footprint of yours for weeks now, and I can only find the most mundane things. There’s not even any porn, and we all watch porn.”
I chuckle, caught by surprise. Riley grins, but there’s something more than humor in his eyes.
“Your record is too clean, Aria. The information about you is too carefully controlled, and that’s what gives you away.”
I grin. “Does it? You still know absolutely nothing about me.”
Riley smiles as he places his order and waits for me to place mine. He rests his elbows on the table the second the waitress walks away.
“No, but I’ll find out. I have a feeling you’re hiding more than tentacle porn, and I’ll find out what it is.”
I burst out laughing. “Tentacle porn?”
Riley nods, dead serious. “You seem the type. Quiet, beautiful, smart. You’re definitely watching some fucked up porn.”
My smile drops, and I look away. Not because of his porn comment, but because he called me beautiful. Is he trying to flatter me or is this one of those things you say when you feel bad? I don’t get it, but it reminds me of Brad. This is how it all started with him. He’d take me out for lunch, and he’d say stuff that made me think he was flirting with me, when all along he just wanted to use me.
I look into Riley’s eyes, distrust making me sit up straight. “Tell me honestly, Riley… what is it you want from me?” I ask, unable to help myself. I can’t go down this road again. I can’t let myself believe someone is being friendly when they have ulterior motives. I can’t figure out what he wants, but it’s something.
Riley looks startled and shakes his head. “I’m sorry, Aria. It was just a joke, the porn thing.”
I look into his eyes, trying to assess his sincerity, knowing that I’m not capable of doing that. Brad lied straight to my face for months, and I never realized it.
“So why did you ask me out for lunch? It just… it seems strange to me.”
Riley frowns. “Why is it strange? I genuinely wanted to get to know you better. You’re intriguing, Aria. I’ve never met anyone that continues to show me up the way you do. You’re brilliant, and I’m just a little curious about you, I guess?”
