Even the Score(61)

I shook my head and sighed. “It’s okay.”

Her eyes were wild as she grabbed the edge of the door, shaking her head back and forth. “No. I feel bad. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay.”

“I just pulled in right after you and thought we could walk in together. I’m so sorry.”

I closed the car door and spun around, putting my hands on her shoulders as I looked her right in the eye. “Ellie. It’s okay.”

Her cheeks puffed out as she exhaled deeply, giving me a sad smile. “How are you?”

I let go of her and flung my bag over my shoulder. “I’m fine. As fine as I can be knowing there’s a psycho out there trying to drive me insane, ya know?”

She nodded as we got into the elevator.

“How’s your car?”

I sighed, letting my head fall back against the wall of the elevator as I stared up at the ugly white ceiling tiles. “Not great. Four new tires, a new paint job, and a new window probably won’t be cheap, but it’s not even the money or the insurance hassle that piss me off. Someone is sending me messages. Someone wants to scare me, and it’s working.”

Ellie took a step closer and rested her head on my shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Dani. What can I do? Anything?”

Thankfully the elevator doors opened before I completely broke down. “Nope. I’m good.”

We both hurried out of the elevator, and I was so busy trying to hustle to my office with my head down that I ran straight into Andy’s chest, bouncing off with a thud and nearly falling to the ground.

“Whoa!” he called out, his eyes bulging as he reached out and caught my arm. “Are you okay?”

I stumbled back but didn’t fall. Once stable, I took a deep, cleansing breath, trying to regain my composure. “I’m fine.” I gave him a tight-lipped smile as my face grew hot with embarrassment. “Just wasn’t paying attention, sorry.”

“It’s okay.” His eyes darted around my face awkwardly, not sure whether he should make eye contact or not.

I looked down at my fingers, wringing them uncomfortably.

“So—” he started to say.

“Well, I’m gonna get started,” I said at almost exactly the same time. He closed his mouth and nodded, just a hint of sadness on his face. I hurried past him to my office and closed the door behind me, where I carelessly dropped my bags on the floor next to my bookshelf and plopped down in my desk chair.

No sooner had my butt hit the seat than there was a soft knock on the door.

Before I had a chance to say anything, Ellie opened it and slid inside. She sat up straight on the edge of the chair across from my desk with her hands folded in her lap and a deadpan expression on her face.

“What?” I finally asked when she didn’t say anything.

“What the hell was that about?”

“What was what about?”

“That.” She pointed her thumb back toward the lobby.

I tilted my head to the side and glared at her playfully. “Ellie, I’m exhausted and barely functioning, please just say it.”

“You two. That was . . . intense.”

My head jerked back. “Intense? Ellie, I just ran into him. Stop looking too far into it.”

She pursed her lips together and rolled her eyes. “Oh, please! If you’re going to tell me that you didn’t feel the weirdness, the tension, the obvious pull between the two of you just now, I’m going to come over there and smack you.”

Of course I felt it. In that moment, I wanted more than anything to wrap my hand around his neck and pull his lips down to mine, but I couldn’t. Feeling defeated, I dropped my head into the nook of my arms and shook it.

“Ellie, stop. We’re just coworkers.” My voice echoed off my desk.

“Um . . . I was there Friday night. You aren’t just coworkers. Not anymore.”

I raised my head and propped it up on my chin. She was staring straight at me with her gray-blue eyes wide and her mouth open just slightly. “Nothing happened.”

“Nothing happened?” She rolled her eyes, unconvinced.

“No, nothing happened. My car got trashed, so that kinda killed the mood, but I’m glad it happened. It gave me time to step back and come to my senses.”

Ellie stuck her bottom lip out slightly. “So that’s just it? You just give up?”

“Pretty much. Turn the feelings off and give up.”

She shook her head but didn’t take her eyes off mine. “So you’re telling me you felt nothing just now? When you bumped into his chest? When you looked in his eyes? Nothing?”

I felt everything.

I let out a heavy sigh. “Of course I feel it, Ellie. It’s impossible for me to be in the room with him and not feel it, but nothing happened. Nothing can happen. He’s my boss. If I sleep with him, or let my guard down and start feeling things for him, it could screw up everything we’ve both worked so hard for.”