2. Elise
2
ELISE
Elise
I never realized how short an hour could be until the day came to help my cousin move. My office at Bowen Industries wasn’t that far from Claudia’s building, but if I didn’t hustle, I wouldn’t be much assistance at all.
A half hour had already disappeared. Grabbing my packed lunch and navigating down the Magnificent Mile took longer than I wanted it to. And eating said lunch on the bus wasn’t fun. Undeterred, I hurried off the bus to get to Claudia’s on time. I ran into her building, praying she was making headway on packing.
Several minutes later, I strode down her hall and shook my finger. “No.” Being out of breath didn’t make me sound confident or calm. Cardio wasn’t my friend, no matter how often I tried to make it so. “I don’t think so.”
Claudia smiled weakly at the door to her apartment she was being evicted from. Evicted because of the idiot ex standing at the door.
Keith sneered at the sight of me. “I’m just?—”
“No.” I repeated it firmly, damning the run I had to tough out to get here. I didn’t want to know how long Keith Amato had been here, stalling Claudia and attempting to cajole her into giving him something else. She’d forked over too much as it was—her virginity, her heart, her trust, her love. Not to mention most of her money, all of her savings, and a lot of her dignity.
“Jesus, Elise.” He rolled his eyes like I was the problem here. “I’m just…”
Reaching them, I huffed out one last hard exhale. I’d mostly caught my breath, but I wanted to wince at the idea of sweat showing on my skin or dampening my clothes. “ No .” I would repeat it as many times as necessary. Claudia couldn’t—or wouldn’t—and therein lay the headache.
Keith would not get past me. This man wouldn’t get his way with me and interfere in Claudia’s life again. He was done, so, so done manipulating my sweet cousin. Now that I would defend her? Uh-uh .
“No, you’re not just anything. You are no longer welcome.” I stepped between them, making sure to knock my shoulder into his so he’d be forced to retreat a bit into the hallway. Claudia didn’t hesitate to let me inside.
“Our conversation doesn’t include you,” he retorted. “So if you’d back off…”
“No.” I would echo that word a million times if I had to. “You are no longer a tenant here.” I jabbed a finger in his chest. “You no longer are a guest of a tenant here.” Another jab. “And you are no longer anyone of remote interest or importance to her except for the purpose of being another reminder of why some men can just fuck off and rot in hell.” Every one of my jabs at his chest pushed him further into the hall. They amped up the severity of his scowl too.
“Hey, that’s—Jeez, Elise. There’s no reason to be harsh.”
“No reason to be harsh?” I nearly squealed that one. This conman of a boyfriend was more than harsh in how he'd manipulated my sweet cousin. Expecting her to pay for everything. Asking her to put her savings into a joint account he started and then removed her from. Demanding that she make up all the past-due rent money that he spent on who-knew-what.
Then the narcissist nonsense of making her question whether she was even worthy of his time and love.
“I’m counting to three,” I warned.
Down the hall, another tenant opened her door and stepped out. This single mother of two teens would back me up. She tipped her chin up, noticing my stand-off with Keith down here. She’d have my back, because Claudia literally stood behind me but was still learning how to stand her ground and find a backbone.
Keith huffed. “I’m not a child?—”
“One.”
Don’t push your luck. Not today. Not ever again.
“I just want to talk to Claudia?—”
“Two.” I pressed my lips together and strained to look strong. Telling him off was one matter. Actually lasting in this tough-girl attitude wore on me. I refused to be a pushover, but I preferred to be diplomatic in most cases.
“I—” He shut up when I narrowed my eyes. “Oh, screw this.” Then he turned and stalked down the hallway.
Oh, thank God. Exhaling a long, pent-up breath, I turned and ushered Claudia into the apartment and she hastily closed the door behind us. She sagged against it and winced.
“Thank you.”
For standing up for you? I always would. Only four years separated us, but I’d always look out for her. Not just because I promised our grandparents that I would, but also because she deserved someone in her corner.
“You’re welcome.” Again. Ever since that night when Claudia first asked to borrow money for a drink on a night out—when I knew damn well she and Keith had just gotten paid that day—I’d stood up for her. It took me a while to poke and prod until she caved and told me all. One tear-filled evening when Keith was out with his friends, she explained how manipulative and controlling he was. That night marked the beginning of me standing up for her, and I’d had to daily with how deep he had his claws into her.
“How long was he here bothering you?” I asked as I set my purse down and surveyed the progress of packing. She had this living room about halfway done. Not bad.
“He just showed up, maybe fifteen minutes before you got here.” She remained by the door. With her head hanging low, she lifted her arms to hug herself.
Oh, Claudia. I went to her and wrapped my arms over hers and hugged her tighter. She looked so fragile, so innocent and vulnerable, and I hated how her appearance made her seem like a prime target. With big blue eyes and long blonde hair, she had a natural beauty and openness. Her short and petite frame didn’t help. Claudia looked like a doll—delicate and easily duped with how she wanted to always see the good in the world. I knew it. She knew it. And I wished she’d stop feeling like such a helpless victim.
“You’ll never have to deal with him again,” I promised. If he tried to follow her to my apartment that she was moving into, he’d be plum out of luck. I’d already told my doorman and the security man that Keith wasn’t allowed inside. I wished Claudia would file for a restraining order against him, but she wasn’t sure whether she had “enough” to get one. “Keith won’t be setting one foot in my building.”
She sighed and dropped her head against me more. “But do you even have room? I hate that I’m putting you out like this.”
“Of course, I have room.” I grimaced at the piles of boxes and clutter she had yet to pack. We’ll make room… with the help of a storage unit. She’d always been such a “collector” of trinkets and books and things.
“I’ll never be able to make enough to pay off all the cards he maxed out. I’ll be stuck living with you forever!”
I held her at arm’s length, smiling. “I don’t believe that. Seriously, Claudia. I’m optimistic things will turn around. We’ll just hang tight, keep our heads up, and work hard.” I knew she had to be feeling extra vulnerable after facing Keith. That man had the ability to undermine her confidence with just a minute of his manipulative presence.
“After this weekend, you’ll see.” I draped my arm around her shoulders and led her further into the apartment.
“You mean I’ll see how much I’m mooching off you?”
I shook my head. “No. You’re not mooching.”
“And how tiny and crowded I’ll make your home feel?”
I sighed, used to her being so down like this. After Keith took all she had, it was expected. “My home is your home.”
“But I have to be out of here by Monday.” She scrunched up her face as she peered at the room.
“It looks like a lot…”
“It is a lot.”
We shared a quick laugh.
“But it’s doable.”
She studied me. Love and gratitude shone in her eyes. The idea that I could help her and make her life easier filled me with joy. I was a people pleaser and problem solver at heart, and it made me feel so good to know I was saving her.
“How can you be this happy and optimistic all the time?” She sighed and scanned the room again. “Like nothing is impossible.”
I shrugged. “Just how I’m wired, I guess. Scrappy and determined.” I checked the time on my phone as a text came in. “Trust me, we’ll get you moved out of here and into my place before Sunday night.”
She’d heard that telltale ping on my phone, too. Even worse, she knew that ping meant a summons from none other than Grant Bowen, our boss. I was his assistant and dealt with the sexy control freak daily. Claudia only knew him as the owner of the building she worked in. She was a baker on the first floor of the Bowen Industries skyscraper.
“Uh-oh.” She raised her brows as I unlocked the screen.
“No. Don’t be like that.”
“Now what does his highness want?” she teased. “Your lunch break isn’t over already, is it?”
I shook my head, feeling my stomach drop as I read his texts.
Mr. Impossible: I need to speak with you immediately.
Mr. Impossible: Your vacation request can no longer be honored.
Mr. Impossible: You are expected to accompany me to the meetings I have scheduled this weekend.
“Well?” Claudia asked.
I cringed, facing her. “Well…”
“You have to work this weekend, don’t you?”
“I put the request in to have it off…”
“But?”
I pulled my lower lip in. “Um. Maybe I might need to, sort of, um, kinda work after all.”
Claudia’s expression fell. “Then how will we move me on time?”
“He said I have to come to a meeting. That’s all.” Nothing was ever simple with that tall, grumpy man. My boss was exacting and hard to please, but I’d been managing him for six years now. Grant was my number-one lesson of how to make life work despite all the odds. He was my constant reminder that no problem could be too difficult to overcome. Maybe it wasn’t healthy to assume he was my problem, but I could handle him.
Usually .
But this request was un usual. He worked all weekend because his job was his life. The man had zero ties to anything outside of his office, and no amount of teasing and nagging from me or his brother would change that. Grant Bowen was simply born and raised to be a diehard workaholic. He’d never expected me to give up my days off to match his speed, though.
“That’s all?” she asked skeptically. I saw her hope deflating by the second.
I nodded. I hope. “Yeah. I’m sure he wants me to sit in on a couple of meetings. Something easy like that.” Plastering on a bright smile, I tried to infuse as much enthusiastic confidence as possible. “Grant’s a grump, but he’s always been reasonably predictable.” I waved off her concerns. “Trust me. It’ll be nothing.”