Chapter 4 #2
“Should there really be an us versus them?” Flynn asked as he leaned against the door. “I mean, we should just have people who happen to be in town at dinner. I know that Kyler’s out of town, and Hudson’s coming in from Cage Lake. But if you’re around, you should join.”
“Is your mother going?” I asked dryly.
Flynn grimaced. “God no. Aston kicked her out, and I’m full on grateful.”
I fiddled with my purse before taking a seat. “And she let that happen? She’s not trying to get back in your life?”
“Maybe with her favorites, but I’ve never been her favorite,” he said but didn’t elaborate. “Are things okay with you and your mom?”
I wish I knew. “They’re the same as always. And I don’t really want to get into it at work.”
He gave a tight nod and straightened. “Got it. I didn’t mean to get so much into our feels. However, you’re welcome for dinner tonight. Blakely will be there.”
“Blakely will be where?” my best friend asked as she popped into my office. She had pulled her long blonde hair back, and grinned. She looked like a woman in love, happy, carefree. I wonder if I would’ve looked like that if Weston and I would’ve worked out.
Why the hell was I thinking about him? Maybe because he had just texted and was checking in.
I didn’t like the fact that I had answered so quickly.
Had lit up at the sight of his name. He was my past. Yes, he had been there when I needed him this weekend, but he wasn’t my future. And I would do well to remember that.
“I was just inviting Isabella here for dinner.”
“Oh, you should come.” Blakely smiled at me. “I mean, if you don’t have a date.”
I snorted, nearly dropping my coffee. “No. Not happening.” Of course, Weston’s face filled my mind, and I immediately pushed that away.
Just because he texted didn’t mean anything was going to change.
He had broken my heart after all. And we were far different people than we had been eight years ago.
Blakely jumped into the silence. “What’s that look? You’re thinking of someone.”
“I don’t even know you that well and I saw that look too,” Flynn put in.
“I don’t appreciate getting ganged up on. And there was no look. Come on. We have work to do. We may not be at my old place with taskmasters, but I should still probably get in a full eight hours.”
“Bossy,” Flynn said. “But that seems to be a family trait.”
“Tell me about it,” Blakely said with a blush.
I winced. “I really don’t need to think about things like that.”
“Yes. Please don’t put bossy and my brother in the same universe with whatever that look was, thank you,” Flynn added.
“I didn’t even mention Aston. But sure, he can be bossy if he wants.” Blakely winked, that gleam in her eyes new and lovely considering all she’d had to deal with recently.
I threw a piece of paper at her, and she ducked.
Thankfully Flynn caught it before it went outside of my office, and he just clucked his tongue at me before the two of them left.
Immediately my phone dinged, and I looked at the screen, my heart racing.
It wouldn’t be Weston. It couldn’t be Weston. I didn’t want it to be Weston.
Flynn:
Don’t throw things. We are in a workplace after all.
I rolled my eyes and set down my phone. Working here was odd.
People trusted me because I was good at my job, and maybe because I was a Cage.
Yes, there was weariness, mostly on my end, but I felt like I could do good work here.
And I wasn’t slowly gaining an ulcer. I could even work from home if I wanted.
They had given me the option, but I really wasn’t a remote worker.
I needed the vibes of other people around me.
After all, I had grown up in a big family, and apparently an even bigger one than I had known.
I liked the noise, and the interruptions.
I immediately went to work and opened up my main file.
I wasn’t technically working on the Cage’s finances.
My job was to take an accounting of the businesses they were acquiring or working with .
Including any partnerships that they had.
My job was to report misconduct, financially or within the workplace by the employees, officers, or directors of the organization.
I wasn’t just an accountant, I had to use investigative techniques in order to discover those financial crimes.
It didn’t always make me the most popular accountant out there. Not that many accountants were popular.
Once a year I would do a surprise audit of the Cage finances just to ensure that the company didn’t have any weasels finding their way in. I liked the fact that the Cages were on top of that. Taking care of their own, while ensuring, as they helped others, they didn’t get screwed in the process.
So far, I hadn’t found anything out of the ordinary, but it could happen. Even a slip-up could lead to something worse.
My phone buzzed right before lunch, and I looked at the screen without thinking, my mind in a million directions.
Weston:
Are you planning on heading back up to town at any point? Maybe looking at a Cage house of your own on a lake?
My heart fluttered, and I had to wonder exactly why he was texting.
It made no sense. I didn’t know this man.
Or why he had left. Or why I wanted him to continue to text me.
But he was the one reaching out after all this time and I’d promised myself I’d stop being the icy princess others claimed I was.
Me:
I have a decent place of my own.
That was a lie. I had a small apartment that I didn’t quite like. I could afford something better, but I was saving for a dream house. I hated spending money.
Weston:
I’m sure one of your brothers would let you stay in one of their houses. They stay empty more often than not. They’re not the type to rent it out to strangers.
Me:
Why do you want me to come up to Cage Lake?
Weston:
It’s your family’s town. You should see it.
Disappointment set in over my shoulders, but I had to wonder why I would be disappointed at all. I didn’t want him to want me. That would just complicate things.
Me:
The town was beautiful when I visited. But I’m really a city girl.
Weston:
I remember.
Sadness twisted with the disappointment, because that was a problem. He had been a small-town boy, me a city girl. Cue the rock song. But he was supposed to have stayed. A summer fling was supposed to be more in the end between us. And it hadn’t been.
And then things had changed. And not just because Weston had left.
Weston:
I have to get back to work. I’m working on a Chevy that wants to explode on me.
Me:
I still don’t know how to change my own oil.
Weston:
I told you. You never have to.
I didn’t know if that meant he would take care of it, or I could just hire someone. And I didn’t want to know. I wasn’t sure why we were even texting in the first place.
Me:
Enjoy your work. I should get back to mine.
Weston:
Have a good day, Bella.
Tears pricked my eyes as I set down my phone. I didn’t want to think about the past. Because when I thought about Weston, I thought about my heart breaking in a thousand pieces, and then I thought about William.
I shuddered at the memory, telling myself that I was safe.
William might be out of jail, but he wasn’t anywhere near me. Kyler knew about it at least, but Kyler wasn’t even in the state. I didn’t want to worry the rest of my family, and it wasn’t like the other Cage brothers knew about what had happened.
Bile crawled up my throat as my palms went damp, and I immediately made my way to the bathroom. I splashed cold water on my face and let out a deep breath.
“He’s not going to find me. He doesn’t want to find me.”
“Everything okay?” a woman asked, and I nodded.
“Yes, Ruby, right?” I asked, remembering this woman was on Blakely’s team.
Ruby smiled. “That’s right. It’s nice to see you, Isabella. But are you sure you’re okay?”
I put on a fake smile, hoping it at least reached my eyes. “Yes. I guess I’m just hungry. I skipped breakfast but had too much coffee.”
“That will do you. You should take your lunch. In fact, we’re ordering from that salad place. You know, the one that has tons of protein and veggies and fats on it so it will taste like something rather than rabbit food.”
I laughed at that and washed my hands. “That does sound nice. Sure, let me think of my order.”
“Come on, and we’ll get it done.”
I pushed all thoughts of William and Weston out of my mind and followed Ruby to her desk.
I was slowly making friends, slowly weaving my way into the company. I might not be the Cage of Cage Enterprises, but I still worked here. I still had a place.
I was safe.
By the end of the day I was tired, but still a little full of pep.
Maybe I would go to dinner at Aston’s. Or try to see if Sophia and Emily were around.
Phoebe was out of town with her boyfriend, the two of them finally taking a break after everything that had happened.
So maybe it was time just to have a night with my family.
I didn’t have many friends outside of Blakley, and I hadn’t noticed the lack until now.
I walked to the parking garage and pulled out my phone, ready to text the group chat, when someone put their hand around my mouth. I tried to scream, but nothing came out. Instead, I kicked out, my purse falling. My phone clattered to the floor, and warm breath flew against my neck.
“Stay still.”
I froze, my body stiffening. I didn’t know that voice. It wasn’t William’s. Right? But maybe I couldn’t remember. Who else could it be? All of my self-defense training went out the window, and I couldn’t do a thing.
My chest tightened and my vision began to gray.
Bile pooled in my mouth and suddenly I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe.
Everything from my nightmares was coming true again.
But this time William wouldn’t stop. He’d finally take what he wanted and kill me when he couldn’t before.
Because I hadn’t wanted to date him and he’d beaten me to make his case known. Then he threated so much worse.
He was back.
And I knew I was going to die.
“Hey. What the hell?” a voice called out, and then the man let me go, his gloved hand falling from my lips, and I fell to the ground, my knees bruising at the impact.
My fingers dug into the cement, my breath coming in ragged pants.
“Isabella? What the fuck?”
Aston was there, his hand reaching out to touch my shoulder. I flinched away from him, and his eyes widened.
“Isabella. Are you okay?”
I nodded as tears slid down my cheeks, and I realized that no, I wasn’t okay.
And I wasn’t going to be okay anytime soon.