Chapter 23

Renee’s POV

It’s been a couple of months since Mia and I hatched our deal, I must say she’s being loyal to her word. I don’t know I would expect it to be any different, if there’s anyone who doesn’t want Eric finding out who I am more than myself, it’s Mia.

Fall has taken place of summer. Green leaves are turning orange, and warm nights are replaced with crisp air. With the changing of the season, I start too believe that I too am entering a new phase of my life-one where Eric is again no longer in it.

I’ve seen him around the office, and I used to expect him to approach me, and probe me with questions, but he barely looks at me and now I hardly notice him at all. Whatever Mia says or does so that he keeps his distance, it’s working.

It used to make me all disoriented. The way he was so fiercely in my life and now he treats me like I’m just another one of the many faces in his building that work for him.

One thing has been constant in my life since my last encounter with Eric and that’s Jasper. We’re still keeping up the whole dating charade, though we probably don’t need to anymore- but neither one of us mentions it.

In fact, he’s coming over tonight and we’re making dinner together. I’ve been giving him some much-needed cooking lessons. Glancing at the clock on my desk, I see that he’ll be here in just ten minutes. I finish up what I’m doing and log off for the day.

The building is nearly empty as many employees take half days on Fridays, I can’t quite afford that luxury. I press the button to the elevator and wait.

It’s already getting dark outside, the white hallway appearing harsh against the eyes. Above me a light flickers.

I tap my foot, the elevator is taking a while. I think I hear a noise, a scuffle of a shoe or something. I look around, but no one is here.

I think about calling out, but the hair on the back of my neck stands up and my voice gets stuck in my throat. I quickly turn my head in the other direction, thinking I saw a shadow move out of the corner of my eye.

I press the elevator button one more time. What is the holdup? I find myself straining to hear another sound, to confirm that someone else is up here with me but all that feeds back to me is silence.

The elevator door pings and I jump in my skin. I hurriedly step into the elevator and try to shake off the eerie feeling of being watched.

I speed walk out of the building and relief fills me as I see Jasper leaning against the car. He would look like some cool bad boy out of a movie if he didn’t have such a goofy grin on his face right now. He always smiles at me like that.

I’ve asked him about it before and he says he’s just still laughing at this months long prank we’re pulling on Eric. Although now when I near him his smile falters.

“What’s wrong?” He asks as he opens the door for me.

“I’m just cold,” I lie.

“Did Eric say something to you?” Jasper asks and I can’t help but smile at the thought of Jasper taking on Eric for me.

“No,” I tell him. “Really it’s just the cold,” I don’t know why I don’t tell him about the weird feeling of being watched I just felt, probably because it was nothing and I don’t need to worry Jasper for no reason.

“Well, a nice warm dinner should do the trick,” he says and puts the car in drive. Debbie is in the backseat, invested in some workbook that Jasper must’ve gotten her.

He periodically gives her these wordbooks filled with puzzles and number games, her math is improving and she doesn’t even realize it.

It’s much better than the mindless gadgets that half the children her age get. If Debbie can’t be as physically strong as her peers, at least she’ll be smarter.

I look out the window trying to see if I can see anyone coming out of the building, but my focus is shifted to the warm fingers lacing through my hands.

I look over and Jasper doesn’t even seem to notice that he’s doing it. He has his one hand on the wheel and his eyes ahead while his other hand is locked with mine and his thumb makes small circles on the back of my hand.

Sometimes I really let myself get into character and pretend that I’m dating Jasper for now. Debbie has warmed up to him enough, she doesn’t even look up from her workbook when Jasper took my hand in his.

“Sorry,” Jasper says sheepishly and goes to pull his hand away. I guess he caught me staring.

“No,” I tell him and pull his hand back into mine. “It’s okay,” I say. It really is.

“Gross,” Debbie says without looking up.

We get home and Debbie is racing inside to beat the cold. She isn’t completely healed, but her progress is improving- albeit slowly. “Go start the bath,” I yell after her. “I’ll be right up,”

We step into my cozy house and shut the cold wind outside. “I’ll get dinner started,” Jasper says. It’s a nice sentiment, but I hesitate. He laughs.

“I still can’t be trusted?” Jasper asks.

“Just boil the water,” I concede.

“I think I can manage,” Jaser says as he slips off his jacket and puts it on the coat rack. It isn’t lost on me the way he’s comfortable here or the way I like that he’s comfortable here. Something about Jasper is just safe.

Though every time I catch myself thinking I can get used to this, for real, some type of resistance rises up in me. I ignore it and try to just focus on the activities of the night.

A few minutes after I get Debbie settled into her bath, with all the water toys that we own and the bubbles at just the perfect level to her liking, Jasper calls up from downstairs. “I think we’re out of tomato sauce,” Great. “I’ll run out to the store,” He says and I can hear him start to put on his jacket.

I think about letting him go, but then decide it’s probably best if I’m the one that goes. It’ll probably take Jasper twice as long only to have him call me and probably get the wrong kind of sauce anyways. No offense, Jasper.

I leave Debbie be while I go tell Jasper that I’ll go instead. He doesn’t like me going out now that it’s dark, but there isn’t much he can do to sop me. “It’ll be fine,” I tell him, “I’ve gone to the store many times at this time before,” I remind him. “Just keep an eye on Debbie and make sure she doesn’t turn into a prune,” I tell him as I shut the door.

The store is only seven minutes away, but I make it there in five I’m starving.

The doors automatically open and I make a B-line right to the pasta isle. The store is mostly empty and suddenly I’m transported back into the office. I look up and down the aisle, but all I see when I look left is the section where all the frozen meat is and when I look right the empty opening to the other sections.

I go back to the shelves lined with jars of tomato sauce and try to focus, but even though my eyes are on the jars my mind is trying to figure out who is watching me. Who not if. I’m listening to my gut on this one. Now irritated, I pick a random sauce and turn to leave.

I cut the corner and nearly run right into someone. I jerk back and begin to mutter an apology until I see that who I bumped into is Eric.

“Were you following me?” I ask probably more harshly than I need to, but it’s the build up from the anxiety at work and just now. Eric sneers.

“This is a public place,” He says as though that’s new information to me. I squint my eyes, refusing to be belittled.

“You were, weren’t you?” I ask crossing my arms. He looks coldly at me.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” then he smirks, “Maybe that’s what you wish I was doing,” he says as he slides past me. “Have fun with Jasper tonight,” he says over his shoulder and I get chills, though it’s not completely a wild guess that I would be with Jasper tonight we are dating after all.

It’s not surprising that Eric would make this somehow about him, but what catches me off guard is that maybe some part of me knows he’s right. Maybe I do want him to be looking at me.