36. Cade
36
CADE
F or the next two nights, I go back to her apartment and knock on her door until the neighbors come out. Kennedy never responds, and I still can’t get her on the phone.
Then on the third night, the door opens right away.
Only it isn’t Kennedy.
It’s a blonde woman. Kennedy’s roommate, I assume.
“Oh, it’s you.” Her face falls, and she appears more than a little disappointed. She isn’t the only one.
“You must be…?” I ask her.
“Harper,” she announces in a snide tone, eyeing me up and down. “And you must be the infamous Lawzill… I mean… Cade M. Gladwell.” She waves her hand in a dismissive gesture. “She oversold your level of hotness, if you ask me.”
“Is she here?” I glance over Harper’s shoulder for any sign of her.
She crosses her arms and stares at me. “No. Lower your voice. The neighbors are getting close to calling the cops on you. Maybe I should let them.”
“I don’t know what she told you?—”
“She told me everything .”
“Where is she?”
She shrugs. “She moved on. And out.”
“How is she?”
“Better. A lot better, actually. A relief, after the mess you’ve caused. So, why exactly are you here?”
“I have to see her. She quit the firm, and I haven’t seen her since.”
I can’t tell by the look on Harper’s face how much exactly she knows, but either way, she isn’t going to let on or back down. She’s in full protection mode.
“Look, she’s over you,” she says. “And it’s about time. You had your chance, and I’m tired of seeing you play games with her just to pass the time.”
“Is that what she said?”
“No. That’s what I say.”
“You’re the one who put her up to that little bet at work, aren’t you?”
“I gave her those tasks to boost her spirits,” she explains defensively.
“Tasks? Plural?”
“Yeah, the farewell note, and then the instant messaging thing? That wasn’t even during work hours. Also, you can thank your buddy Miles for that. It was his idea.”
CupidLurks. It’s all clicking now.
I wondered at the time if it was Kennedy. I enjoyed our chat, but something had felt off. I thought someone was playing games, or if maybe Miles set me up. And then I logged off when I got a work call. I shake my head. I’d shared my favorite memory with her that evening. No wonder she acted differently toward me the following day. She wouldn’t even look me in the eye.
“It was tough watching her climb out of that deep hole you dug for her,” she continues. “Then she busted her ass to become a paralegal, and a good one, too… only to have a jerk like you ruin that for her too. Fortunately for her, she’s moved on.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? She’s with a guy?”
She shrugs. “All I ever do these days is lift her spirits,” she snaps, then moves to close the door. “I should charge you for my time, considering it’s always your fault. If you don’t leave, I’m calling the cops.”
“Tell me where she is. I love her.”
“Ha! Right .”
“I’m not giving up on us. What we have isn’t something you can just throw away overnight.”
She tilts her head. “Oh really? You sure seemed to think it was when you left her the first time. Karma’s a bitch, isn’t it. Doesn’t feel good, huh? Getting dumped and left in the dark like that. Maybe this was her plan all along, just to get back at you. That’s what I would have done.” Her hand tightens on the door, ready to slam it shut.
“Wait,” I implore her, softening my tone, pouring all the urgency I feel into the next single word. “Please.”
“She’s doing great now. Do the right thing and leave her alone. I trust that’s clear. Show up here again, and I’ll have you arrested.” With that, she thrusts the door closed. The click of the latch seals her warning.
Reluctantly, I turn to leave.
Karma is finally catching up to me.
I get it. She needs time, and space.
She’ll have it. Four weeks.
Four weeks feels fair. It should be enough for her to find her footing again. Without me adding pressure to it all.
After that, I will move heaven and earth to find her, if I need to.
I won’t make the mistake of losing her again.