When I shut the water off I noticed all our clothing that was discarded to the shower floor was now gone. Knowing Stefan he was taking care of it but that just meant I had no choice but to dry off and get into his robe. As I stomped from the bathroom I tried to make myself get angry so I could force myself to leave. Despite the fact that the nagging tug in my heart said this was exactly where I needed to be.
"Stefan! Where are my clothes??" I yelled out from the hall.
The sound of bare feet dashing toward me was enough for me to know Stefan heard the rage I tried to have. Seconds later he appeared at the far end of the hallway, black sweatpants hung low on his hips making my center pulse with need at the sight. My eyes focused on those perfect sex lines and suddenly my fury was shining fully at myself.
"What's wrong, Grey?"
"Where are my clothes? I have to go. I can't believe I just let that happen! What was I thinking??" The hysterics rose full force in my tone. Stefan put his hands up and carefully walked toward me as if I was a rabid dog backed into a corner.
"Our clothes are in the dryer and you didn't let it happen. It was meant to happen."
I shook my head and backed away on my shaky legs. "No, I'm engaged, Stefan! If it was meant to happen it should have been with my fiancé!"
"Greyson please, come here." He held his arms out as he closed the distance between us. I wanted to run to him, and let him shield me from all the bad, but I couldn't. I was backed into the end of the hall with a door handle digging into my back. My hands flipped around and yanked at it so I could continue fleeing. The door was locked and each time I tried to get in a beeping sound rang from the pocket of Stefan's pants.
It finally registered that this door wasn't just locked, it was one of the rooms in Stefan's high security system. I turned back to him and instantly he registered the thought process flashing through my mind. Pulling the phone from his pocket he held it up for me to see the same secure app as in the elevator.
"I would greatly recommend not pushing at the door again."
"Why?" I asked breathlessly.
"Because you've done it eight times, if it's done ten times without any acknowledgment from me, an alarm will go off. You'd get to meet the other half of Harrison Security, but I have a feeling you wouldn't be happy about that at the moment."
"What's in this room? Does it have some extreme process like getting to your office??"
He shook his head. "Nope, there's only one way to get in. Right here through my phone approval."
"What's in here??"
Stefan pressed the yellow button on his phone. "Something very special to me. I actually haven't been in there for many years. Not since I moved in, honestly."
"Why?"
I watched the hesitation tightening his jaw as he looked around the hall. "Grey … "
"What's in here, Stefan?" It wasn't like him to avoid my questions and now I had to know why.
"I don't-" He paused, shaking his head. "I don't even know how to explain this to you, Greyson."
"Maybe you should try, because I'm getting a very strong feeling it has to do with me."
"It does."
I threw my hands up in frustration. "What is it? Have you been having me followed? Is there a telescope that is focused into my bedroom window?? Are there millions of little creepy pictures all over the walls of me in my everyday life??"
He sighed. "There are pictures of you, but none are recent."
I stared, the sudden twisting in my stomach told me whatever was inside would break me. He hasn't been in here for years, it has to do with me, and it can only be accessed from one single point. Every single piece of this puzzle made the prospects swim in my mind, until suddenly, I understood.
"It has to do with Allie." My timid words were barely audible, but he nodded.
"Yes, it does."
"Let me see." I said after a few moments. It terrified me to think of what it was, but the thought of leaving and never knowing scared me more.
Stefan gulped back his apparent nerve. "I don't know if you want to look."
"I do, why wouldn't I, Stef? It has to do with my daughter."
He scrubbed his free hand over his face and through his hair. "Grey … "
"What is it, Stefan!?" I yelled out.
"When you left me and our home that night, you never came back. You had your parents and brother get your stuff. You had them tell me to do as I pleased with everything that was left, including Allie's room." Everything he said, I remembered, but I still wasn't sure where he was going with it. "I stayed in that apartment for a while but when it was time to leave, I didn't know what to do. The only thing I knew was I couldn't just throw it all away. We created her little room together and I couldn't just let it all go."