Chapter 25 #2
"And I never saw it." He showed me his phone, his thumb swiping up to reveal the message thread. My text sat there in his messages. Unread. Time-stamped 10:47 AM. He ran his hand down his face, shoulders dropping. "I'm so sorry. I was in meetings. I should have checked—"
I inhaled deeply through my nose, trying to slow my galloping pulse. "Tell me what happened at the deli." I managed, my voice steadier than the trembling inside me.
Gavin's jaw tightened. "So, I'm there in line.
" He ran a hand through his hair. "She comes up behind me, all happy to see me.
Makes it seem like we'd planned to meet.
" He shook his head, eyes narrowing. "I tried to just ignore her, within reason.
Mentioned Charisse and everything." His voice lowered, disgust evident.
"Then, she tried to get me to pay for her sandwich, wove her hand into the crook of my arm as if we were on a date or something.
" His fingers drummed against the counter, punctuating each word.
"I told her I didn't know why she was there, but she could enjoy her lunch—without me.
Then I left. Without taking my sandwich.
I just walked out." His jaw clenched as he reached for his phone, thumbs moving quickly across the screen.
He held it out to me, his hand trembling slightly.
"Look." The screen glowed between us as he handed it to me.
There, in front of me, sat a jumble of words. It took me a minute to actually read it.
1:15 PM - Rebecca appeared at Seaport Deli while I was there for lunch. Approached me from behind and attempted to start a conversation. Then attempted to have me buy her sandwich. Said something to the cashier about a date, mentioned "our family." I exited, left the sandwich and said goodbye.
"I documented it immediately," he said. "Sent it to Victor before I even got back to the office. But then I had another meeting and I—I forgot to check my messages. I'm so sorry."
My anger wavered. "She came to my shop, Gavin. Ordered some asininely ridiculous drink. Then stood there telling me how you guys were getting back together."
He stepped forward, eyes locked on mine, hands trembling slightly at his sides. "We're not." His voice cracked. He swallowed hard, jaw clenching. "Sweetheart, we are definitely not." He reached for my hand, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. "I love you and I would never do that to you."
"She said you weren't ready to tell me yet."
"That's a lie. An absolute and complete lie." He stepped closer. "Andi, look at me."
I did.
"I am not getting back together with Rebecca. I don't want to be with Rebecca. I want to be with you." His hands cupped my face. "She's playing games. Creating situations and trying to make things look like something they’re not. I don’t know what the hell she is planning, but I don’t like it."
"The text—"
"Is her version of events. Not reality." His thumbs brushed my cheeks. "I should have texted you the second she came in. I should have seen your text this morning. I'm sorry I didn't."
I closed my eyes, my chest still rising and falling too quickly.
The fight was draining out of me, leaving behind a hollow ache.
I rubbed my temple with two fingers, shoulders sagging slightly.
"We've been here for a while too," I said quietly, "why haven't you mentioned any of this?
And why not text after she ambushed you? "
He pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling slowly.
"I honestly don't know. Work was absolute chaos.
" His hand dropped as he shook his head.
"I was literally going from one meeting to the next all day.
" A hint of a smile touched his lips. "At one point, I actually had to leave a call just to use the damned bathroom.
Running out for lunch was even a bad idea, but I'd forgotten to get something. And after Rebecca, I left without lunch so I didn’t even get to eat. "
He reached for my hand. "Then, when I saw you, you seemed somewhere else, and I think I just got distracted.
" He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing once.
"I don't know." He looked down at where our fingers intertwined, then met my eyes again while his thumb drew slow, deliberate circles against my skin.
"I honestly wasn't thinking about Rebecca at all. Only you."
"You know what happened with Ryan all those years ago." My hands were steady now. I just needed my voice to be. "So when Rebecca showed up today and said those things, and then you didn't respond to my text, and then tonight I saw that message—"
"You thought it was happening again."
"Yeah."
His forehead pressed against mine. "It's nothing like that.
I'm not him, Andi. What Ryan did to you—that's not me, not ever.
" His thumbs traced circles on my palms. "I missed your text because I was drowning in meetings, but that's on me.
I should've checked. Should've called you the second she cornered me at that deli.
" The pressure of his hands increased slightly.
"Next time I don't answer, just call. Keep calling.
Hell, I'd take your voice over another meeting any day of the week. "
I took a shaky breath and exhaled a little laugh. "Yeah, I think maybe we both failed at communication today. And Rebecca took advantage of that. She's good at this."
"She's had practice."
"What do we do?"
He pulled me into his embrace, his arms tightening around me like a shield.
"We keep documenting." His chest rose and fell against mine.
"We tell Victor everything—including her visit to your shop.
" He swallowed hard, his throat working.
"And we communicate better. She's so unpredictable, and I really don't like that.
" He pulled back just enough to show me his phone again, thumb swiping across the screen with deliberate precision.
"From now on, I check my messages. Even in meetings.
" His eyes locked with mine, unwavering.
"And if something happens, I text you immediately. No delays."
"Okay."
We stood there in his living room; what remained of the food had gone cold on the coffee table, both of us breathing hard from the adrenaline crash.
"I'm sorry I assumed the worst," I said quietly.
"Don't apologize. She deliberately set this up. Came to your shop, planted seeds, then showed up at my lunch to create evidence." He tightened his embrace. "And we handed her ammunition by not communicating in real-time."
I rested my head against his chest. "This is exhausting."
"I know."
"How long is she going to keep doing this?"
"I don't know. But we're going to stay ahead of it." He kissed the top of my head. "Victor thinks she's building to something. That all these little interactions are part of a bigger strategy."
"Like what?"
"He's not sure yet. But he wants me to keep documenting everything. Every text, every encounter, every time she uses Charisse to send messages. He also said, though, that it's probably good to be prepared. That she may try to file first. Maybe force our hand."
My phone buzzed. I pulled back from Gavin to check who it was.
Bridget: Whatcha doing?
I typed back: Dinner with Gavin. Want to meet tomorrow?
Bridget: Definitely. I can swing by the Grind like 3?
Andi: Perfect.
Later, lying in bed, Gavin's arm around me, I stared at the ceiling.
"Gavin?"
"Yeah?"
"Next time she does something, anything at all, you text me immediately. Even if you're in a meeting."
"I promise."
"And I'll keep telling you. Even if I'm scared you won't believe me."
"I'll always believe you."
He kissed my shoulder. "We're going to get through this."
"I know."
But as I lay there in the dark, Rebecca's words echoed. Some things are inevitable. Not if I had anything to say about it.