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“Go ahead,” I tell her. “I might leave soon, anyway.”
She walks off and a part of me regrets not going with Christian in the first place. But he would have made me go home instead of taking me along with him, and the night is still young. I’m considering bribing Bronx to take me to Zoey’s apartment when my phone rings.
I sigh, stepping out of the room. I don’t answer the call until I’m outside the building. My car’s parked not too far off but I stay hidden in the shadows.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Sweetheart,” she greets. “How’s the party? Are you still there?”
“No, I was just about to leave,” I reply.
My parents and I have a long way to go before our relationship is completely mended, but I’ve missed them. I hadn’t realized how much until Christian and I had dinner with them a few days ago.
“Alright. I don’t want to hold you up, darling. It’s just Annalise’s anniversary is coming up. I was wondering how you were.”
My heart practically stops. I forgot. The single most important day of my life and I fucking forgot. I’ve been so distracted by everything lately, by Christian, that it didn’t even cross my mind once. Usually, around this time of the year, I’m a complete mess.
“I’m okay, Mom,” I tell her, even though I can feel the quickening of my heart.
My hands start to shake, the telltale sign of a panic attack.
“If you say so,” Mom says. “I was also wondering if you and Christian have picked a date for the wedding. We really should start to prepare.”
My throat feels tight but I manage to reply. “The wedding’s not happening any time soon. Mom, I have to go.” I hang up and lean against the wall, trying to steady myself. “One, two, three, four,”
I count all the way to a hundred, taking deep breaths until I start to calm down.
Tears blur my eyesight for a second. Annalise.
“Are you okay?” someone asks, stepping out of the shadows.
My eyes widen as they meet icy blue ones.
“I’m fine,” I say, my words clipped.
“Really? Seems like you were going through something.”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Richardson,” I state, letting him know I know who he is. “It’s nothing a quick visit to my therapist’s office won’t solve.”
I’m not kidding. I really should book an appointment with Dr. Wells. Asher Richardson smiles like I made a joke, however. He takes another step toward me. Whatever he wants from me can’t be good. I’m about to scream at the top of my lungs for Bronx, but his eyes narrow.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he says, adjusting the tie at his collar. “You know who I am, Ms. Evans. But you don’t know what I want.”
“I know it can’t be good,” I toss out.
He smiles. “I can see why Christian’s so enamored with you. I knew him as a teenager. He was always such a cold kid, but something’s different about him now. I’m guessing that has to do with you.”
I don’t reply. I don’t say a word, my eyes moving to my car in the middle of the lot. Bronx will be inside waiting for me. If I could only draw his attention.
“Your bodyguard’s gone,” Richardson says and my blood runs cold.
“What?”
“I killed him,” he tells me proudly. “I can’t have him coming to save you.”
My throat feels tight but I manage to find the words. “What do you want from me?”
“From you? Nothing. Your fiancé, though, that’s another story. I have a feeling before today runs out you’re going to regret ever agreeing to marry the head of a mafia organization.”
