Chapter 24

I held the key in front of the lock to my parents’ front door and paused. Nothing in me wanted to go inside, but I didn’t really have a choice. I needed more of my things if I was going to continue to stay at work comfortably.

I put the key in the lock and turned the knob as slowly and quietly as possible. Maybe I could sneak in and out without anyone noticing me. Not that my family ever really paid a whole lot of attention to me…but I didn’t want to take any chances.

I slipped through the door and carefully shut it behind me. I paused and listened. I heard some dishes clanking around in the kitchen. At this hour, my parents were probably drinking their evening tea, I guessed. I looked up the stairs. I didn’t see any lights coming from the rooms, which hopefully meant that I would not find any more unwelcome surprises in my bed.

I tiptoed over to the staircase and slowly made my way up the stairs, careful to avoid the third step up, which was notoriously noisy when it was stepped on. I pushed open the door a crack when I got to my room. It was dark inside, and from what I could tell was completely unoccupied. I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Hazel, there you are!” A voice said cheerily behind me. I jumped and my hand flew up to my heart. I turned. Natalie was standing behind me, grinning from ear to ear.

“What the…Dammit Natalie, you scared me!”

“Oops, sorry about that,” she said, scrunching up her nose. An attempt at looking remorseful I supposed.

I narrowed my eyes at her. She was up to something. “What do you want?”

She shrugged. “Wow, okay. I just wanted to chat. We never get to do that.”

Because you’re a selfish, cold-hearted bitch, I thought and almost said out loud. Instead I opted for something a little nicer: “But…why?”

“Oh, come on Hazel, that’s what sisters do. Join me! Let’s talk.” She grabbed my hand and led me into my room. She sat on the edge of my bed and patted the spot next to her. I sat, my brain racing to comprehend what was happening.

“So, tell me about work!” She smiled at me.

I was conflicted. On the one hand, this was what I had always wanted: a sister that was also a friend and confidant. Instead I got a sister that was also Satan himself. I could not figure out what her angle was here and I did not trust her for a second, as much as I had always longed for a moment like this.

“Uh…nothing to say, really. It’s just the same boring stuff every day,” I shrugged.

“What about that new CEO of yours? What’s his name?” She asked.

“Wha…Logan?” How in the world did she know any of that? “He’s just another hard-ass CEO, like all the ones that came before him.”

I stood and walked over to my dresser. I started grabbing socks and underwear and t-shirts. I didn’t know what she was up to, but I wanted out of this conversation immediately.

“I looked him up,” Natalie continued. “He is incredibly hot.”

“Sure, if you’re into that sort of thing.”

“Oh come on, you can’t tell me that you haven’t thought of him when you’re laying all alone in your bed at night…”

I was glad I was facing away from her, because my face instantly grew hot. I was alone in my bed because of her, I thought angrily. “Nope, not at all.”

“Liar. It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me.” She paused for a moment. “What’s he like anyway?”

I turned to face her. “Why the twenty questions?”

“I told you, we never get to chat, I just wanted to get to know a little more about what my big sister does all day,” she smiled at me.

“He’s like any other boss,” I said.

“That’s it? That’s all I’m going to get out of you about him?”

“Look, I don’t know the guy, I just see him around work a little bit. That’s all,” I lied. I grabbed an empty tote bag from my closet and shoved my clothes inside. Then I went to my sink and swiped a couple hair and face products from the counter into the bag. “Well. Nice chatting with you, but I have to get back to the office.”

Natalie’s fake smile disappeared and a scowl turned up in its place. There was the Nat I knew well.

Without another word I quickly walked out of the room and bounded down the stairs.

“Hazel, is that you?” My mom called from the kitchen.

“Hi mom, bye mom,” I yelled back as I threw open the front door and ran outside. I slammed it behind me. I ran all the way to my car, afraid that if I slowed down for even a second Natalie would ask me a million more Logan-related questions.

When I got inside my car, I locked the doors and called Maria.

“Maria? You are not going to believe what just happened.”

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I pulled into the office parking lot. As I got out and gathered my purse and tote, I tried to make sense of Nat’s line of questioning. Why was she suddenly interested in Logan? How did she find out where I worked? I certainly had never told her and I doubted my parents would have. Maria wasn’t able to make any sense of it either.

“Hazel?” a male voice slurred behind me. I turned and saw Chance staggering towards me.

“Chance?” I watched him stumble around, trying to make his way to me. “Are you drunk? What are you doing here?” This night was getting weirder by the minute.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” he said.

“Why?”

He laughed. “Oh, Hazel, you’ve always been the funny sister. I missed you.” He had finally reached my car and ran right into the back of it. “Oopsie daisy.”

“Well. Isn’t that sweet. Can’t say I’ve felt the same so you can go now. Nat’s in my bed, if you were wondering where you could find her. I know you know where that is,” I gave him a fake smile, pushed the lock button on my key fob, and started to walk away. Chance began sobbing loudly.

I stopped in my tracks and closed my eyes. I couldn’t believe I had ever hoped to marry this guy. I turned back to him.

“What’s wrong?” I asked coldly.

He walked over to me and threw his arms around my neck. He sobbed into my shoulder for a moment before finally saying, “Nat…Nat…Natalie dumped me!”

My mouth dropped open. That would have been welcomed news right after the Vegas trip, but now I just wondered what Natalie’s new game was. I pushed him off of me.

“Is that why you were waiting for me? To tell me that?”

He shook his head and wiped the tears from his eyes.

“Then what do you want?” I asked, more harshly than I had intended.

“Hazel. I want you back.”