Cunning (Infidelity #2) (23 page)

“I’m sure. I want to get to Chelsea. We can stop by the apartment later.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Did Mr. Demetri tell you what time he wanted me to meet him for lunch?”

“Yes, we should leave Palo Alto no later than eleven. Traffic is unpredictable.”

“Then, definitely, I don’t want to waste time at the apartment now.”

WALKING INTO THE
hospital with Isaac, I saw Tina Moore seated in a large chair in the lobby. I went directly to her.

“Why aren’t you with Chelsea? Are they doing tests?”

“No,” she said, sipping a large white paper cup of coffee.

I stood taller, understanding why Nox didn’t like to repeat himself. “Then…” I prompted.

She stood. “I figured you’d know. She said she was a friend of yours.”

“Who said?”

“The woman talking to Chelsea. She asked for privacy.”

I shook my head. “Is she someone from our apartment complex or a friend from our classes?”

Tina shrugged. “I don’t know. She’s kind of old to be in class with you, but I guess anything is possible. I think she said her name, but honestly, I was thinking about another cup of coffee. It’s still early.”

“Is she still there?”

“I think she is. Chelsea said she’d text when she left.” She pulled her phone from the back pocket of her jeans and swiped it with her thumb and shook her head. “I haven’t received one.”

I didn’t have time to spare, not with my lunch date. “Well, I’ll go on up. If it’s someone we both know, there shouldn’t be an issue.”

Tina reached for my elbow and lured me a few feet away from Isaac. “Where’s that hot guy?”

“Lennox?” I asked, as if I had so many
hot guys
buzzing around that I wasn’t sure which one she meant.

“Damn, he is…”

This was my best friend’s mother and while I agreed with her assessment, it made me more than a little uncomfortable to hear her go on about my boyfriend. I smiled at that title, or was it because he’d been the first to use the label. “He’s working today,” I said. “I need to meet him for lunch, so I’m in a hurry. I’m going to go on up to Chelsea’s room.”

Tina nodded with a grin. “Okay, honey. I’ll stay here for a while longer.”

A few minutes later, Isaac and I reached her door and I asked, “Would you like to come in?”

“No, I’ll stay here.”

I shook my head and opened the door, expecting to interrupt a conversation. Instead, Chelsea was alone, sitting on her bed and staring toward the window.

“Hi.”

She turned toward me, her expression momentarily perplexed. “Hey. Where’s Mr. Handsome? And why do you look like you just walked out of a magazine?”

I giggled. “Why do you look so confused? Who was your visitor?”

“Visitor?”

“Your mom said someone wanted to talk to you.” I walked closer and inspected her blackened eye. “Does that hurt?”

She scrunched her nose. “Not really. Only when I move my face, you know, smile or frown.”

“Honey, I’m so sorry. I still don’t understand what happened or why anyone would come into our apartment and hurt you.”

“I don’t either,” she admitted.

“How do you feel about going back to the apartment?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Mom said it was fine last night.”

I wanted to ignore the hint of trepidation in her normally bubbly voice, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t let my feelings of uncertainty about her moving to New York stop my invitation, not if she no longer felt comfortable in our apartment. “Would you feel better in New York?”

Her eyes opened wide and she grimaced.

“Sorry,” I said. “Stop moving your face.”

My directive made her laugh followed by another whimper.

“Stop it,” Chelsea said, “I can’t
not
move my face. What do you mean New York? Are you finally picking up on all the hints I’ve dropped?”

“Yes, but more than that, I miss you.”

“You have Mr. Handsome. Surely you don’t want me cramping your style.”

I put my hands on my hips. “When have you ever cramped my style? I’d say I wouldn’t have a style if it weren’t for you.”

She eyed me up and down. “You did, and looking at you, I’d say you’ve got it back.”

I shrugged. “This is different. Nox asked me to meet him and a colleague for lunch.”

“You carry the classy Alex as well as you do the sexy Charli.”

I pulled up a chair and sat with a ridiculous grin on my face. “You know, I thought Charli was gone forever.”

Chelsea shook her head. “I’m glad she’s not. I like her smile.”

Palming my own raised cheeks, I admitted, “I do too!”

After a few minutes of catching up, Chelsea asked, “So, tell me why, now that Mr. Handsome is here, your old beau showed up?”

My smile disappeared. I’d read Bryce’s text messages this morning, and he didn’t mention going to Chelsea’s room. I hadn’t replied to any of them. I didn’t know what else to say except to tell him to
go back to Savannah
. “What do you mean?”

“He came here last night, not long after you left. As soon as he started talking, I knew he was the guy you were trying to dodge our freshman year. He said he was looking for you.”

“That’s ridiculous. We saw him downstairs. He knew where I was.”

“He didn’t act like it. He gave us a big story about how worried he was about your staying in the apartment. I remembered how hard it was for you to get rid of him. So I played along, trying to figure out his end game.”

“Did you,” I asked, “figure it out?”

That was one of her specialties, seeing people for whom they really were. Her freshness and realism were part of what drew me to her our freshman year. After living at Montague Manor, her ability to cut through all the pretenses was invigorating. It was also why she ended up with a major in psychology. She had an uncanny ability to figure people out.

“I got the feeling he wanted more information about when and where you were moving.”

I ground my teeth. “I told him that I’d already moved. I know to him it doesn’t look like it.” I shook my head. “I’ll talk to him. Besides, if you agree to New York, soon we’ll both be there.”

“I thought your apartment was too small for two people.”

I tucked my chin down and looked at my best friend bashfully through my lashes. “I may not be using it.”

Her eyes once again opened wide followed by the wince. “Stop making me do that!”

“I’m not making you do anything.”

“Mr. Handsome? Really? Oh my God, Charli with an
i
is back and boy, is she moving fast.”

I shrugged. “I mean, I could pretend to live in the apartment, but why?”

“Oh, girl! Why indeed? But… what about the bombshell your mom dropped on you? Did you tell Mr. Handsome? Obviously, he’s able. Is he helping you?”

I shrugged. “Yes, he is.” That answer was easier than explaining the truth about Infidelity.

“So you told him?”

“Not all of it. We’re taking it slowly.”

She pursed her lips. “Charli…” She drew out my nickname. “You just said you won’t be using your apartment. Babe, that’s not slow. And…” She became more serious. “I can’t say yes to New York, not yet.”

It was my turn to look surprised. “Why? Did you get a job?”

“Maybe. I had an offer. I need to think about it.”

I sprang from my chair. “Chelsea, that’s great. What? Where? Is it in counseling?”

“It’s difficult to explain. I wasn’t expecting it. The offer came out of left field.”

“What offer? Tell me all about it.”

“It’s… I’m not sure.”

“Why are you being so mysterious?”

“Well, it wasn’t exactly an offer. It was an offer to interview. If I get it, I will live in Washington DC.” She looked out the window for a minute. “I would be able to travel to a home base.” Turning back to me, her hazel eyes sparkled, even though one was framed by the dark bruise. “New York would be a quicker commute than California.”

“Oh, that sounds so exciting. I’m sure Nox would be willing to help with travel back and forth.”

Chelsea shook her head. “I wouldn’t need help. If I get it, the pay is more than I ever imagined.”

“In DC?” I asked. “That sounds very exciting.”

Her lower lip disappeared between her teeth as she inhaled and exhaled. “It could be.”

The door opened and a woman in scrubs, pushing a cart with a computer, came in. “Hello, Chelsea. I’m Madden, your day nurse. May I see your wristband?”

Chelsea held it up and answered all of Madden’s questions: name, date of birth, and last four digits of her Social Security number. After she passed the mini-exam, Madden said, “I’m sorry to interrupt, but it’s time for your tests. Your doctor ordered a full panel of tests and scans. It will take us a few hours.”

I squeezed Chelsea’s hand. “That’s all right. I need to go to lunch. I’ll stop by the apartment before I come back. Text me and let me know if you’re breaking out of here today.”

The nurse turned my direction “The results won’t be conclusive until tomorrow.” She looked at her computer screen again. “I’m pretty sure the doctor won’t authorize her release until at least then.”

“Maybe this time,” I said in a stage whisper, “I’ll need to be the one to break you out.”

Chelsea smiled. “No way, girl, I’m the one who kicks ass at jail breaks.”

AS I LEFT
Chelsea’s room, I instinctively slowed, waiting for my shadow. Somewhere over the last few days, Isaac’s presence had become my normal. Deloris promised I’d soon have my own bodyguard and driver. Part of me wanted to keep Isaac. There was something about him that I didn’t mind. Maybe it was the way he made his presence known with Bryce. Maybe it was the realization that what happened to Chelsea could have happened to me. I didn’t want to buy into Nox’s paranoid mentality, but ignoring it didn’t seem wise either.

My phone vibrated. Removing it from my purse, I hoped the call was from Nox.

BRYCE
flashed on my screen and I sighed.

With Isaac by my side, I debated my options. I could let the call go to voicemail or excuse myself to the bathroom and away from listening ears. While those thoughts raced through my mind, my better sense told me to just rip off the Band-Aid. Now that my world included Deloris and Isaac, my ability to hide calls or anything else seemed remote. No matter where I took the call, Nox would know.

Taking a deep breath, I swiped the screen.

“Hello?”

“Alexandria,” Bryce said, obviously unable to comply with my request for a shortened name. “Thank God you answered. I’ve been worried sick about you.”

I clenched my teeth, suddenly seething with the need to defend Nox. “Stop worrying. Go home. I’m fine. As soon as Chelsea’s out of the hospital, I’m going home.”

“That’s great,” he said with a sigh. “Your parents will be relieved. It’s too dangerous. You need to be home.”

I looked up at Isaac, almost certain he could hear every word, and shook my head. Since we were still walking through the hallways of the hospital, I kept my voice low. “No, you misunderstood. I’ll be going
home
to New York.”

Momentary silence.

When I didn’t say more, he asked, “Have you at least Googled Demetri? Have you called Adelaide to learn what’s going on? Have you done any of the things I told you to do?”

I straightened my neck. “That you’ve
told
me to do? Welcome to the new world. I don’t do what you tell me to do. You mentioned those things last night and since then I’ve been a little busy.”

“Busy doing what, Alexandria? Screwing a murderer?”

“Goodbye, Bryce.”

“No. Please, I’m sorry. I am.” His words gushed through the phone, one running over the other. “I know your orientation at Columbia starts soon. Just spend a few days at home, learn the particulars of what happened, and you’ll see that you belong in Savannah.”

Isaac opened the car door. I nodded as I eased into the seat.

“You’re talking in circles, Bryce. Please go home, leave my friend alone, and report back to Alton that I’m not returning. Tell him he lost. His power play didn’t work. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, ask Adelaide and Alton.”

“I know what happened. I do. I also know it wasn’t them—it was you.”
What the hell?
“You can get it back. I overheard a conversation that I wasn’t supposed to hear. I wanted to tell you in person, but damn, I’m getting desperate.”