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“Which apartment?” the guard asks.
“303, back to where you just were. Knock on the door and introduce yourself and tell Mrs. Winslow Alex Winters sent you. Don’t let anyone in that she doesn’t know.” Alex is surgical in his words.
“Alright. How long?” the guard asks.
“I’ll call your office to send a replacement. Stay until six,” Alex says, then turns to me. “Ready to leave?”
“Take me there, big guy!” I place my hands on my hips as he opens the door for me.
We go out driven by the other guard, me to my work, and Alex to his. Before we part ways, I ask Alex, “How long will you keep security at the Winslows’ door?”
“Until Big Teddy is behind bars,” he says, determined.
Chapter Twenty-Six
ALEX
Everythingissaidanddone via email these days, but Bella still comes to visit my office every now and then, no matter how many times I explain that I’m the CEO and decisions over social media arenotunder my jurisdiction.
“What do you want now, Bella?” I say, without looking away from my computer.
"I came to discuss which stories about your volunteering we can use right now," she says, taking a seat in my guest chair without an invitation.
“Um…” I feel the bridge of my nose. “None, Bella.”
She turns pale right in front of me as if I had denied her life-giving medication. “But Alex! Those stories generate a lot of views!”
“I don’t care, Bella.” I fold my hands over the desk.
“Then why do you even have a social media crew?” She is getting exasperated.
I stand up and circle around the table to reach my little sister. Once there, I start massaging her shoulders. At first, she’s weirded out but soon I feel her start to relax.
“Bella…” I start. “I have a social media crew because it’s a necessity for most companies these days. There are hundreds of stories you can useabout the company.Just for this week, let’s give my volunteer work a little vacation, shall we?”
I release her, and she glances back at me over her shoulder, a hint of disappointment in her eyes but noticeably happier than when she first came. I give her a gentle tap on the top of her head, then lean against the desk beside her, crossing my arms and gazing at her with endearment.
“You just want to know about my life, don’t you?” I say, playful.
But she takes it seriously, and growls at me like a puppy protecting a bone. “Alex, you pretty much cut me out of your life after you started dating Liv! This is the only way I have found to stay in touch with you!”
“I know,” I say, sounding wise, generous, and full of bullshit. “And I appreciate it. But I didn’t cut you out of my life. I just requested you to stay away for a while, until your bad feelings disappeared. And how are they, by the way?”
She rubs her arm, sheepish and awkward, thinking about what to say, but unable to muster any words until I give her a gentle hug.
“I don’t hate her anymore, Alex. You two betrayed my trust, but the standards of my trust were very childish. And after yourpunishment,” she punches me lightly in the ribs, “of not letting me see Harlan, I think I grew up a little.”
I listen to her and nod, pleased with Bella’s self-improvement. “Seems like you’ve forgiven her,” I say.
“I guess I did,” she shrugs.
“Did you tell her that?” I nudge her in the right direction.
Bella looks at me and blinks, eyes fluttering like the wings of a butterfly. She seems surprised, like somebody who just had an epiphany and didn’t like it at all.
“I haven’t,” she says with sad realization. “I’m not ready to talk to her yet.”
“But you did talk to her; the day we were breaking down the Winslows’ apartment, right?” I ask.
