26. Smile and Secure the Exit
SMILE AND SECURE THE EXIT
OWEN
I ’m sitting on a padded folding chair in my makeshift office in one of the balcony boxes, my laptop sitting on a card table, as I scour the video feed from over the weekend.
I have the new cameras installed, which means more cameras to check.
As I scrub through them, I don’t see anything out of place, which gives me such relief.
Weirdly enough, I’m getting in even more of a funk as I sit here than I’ve been the rest of the day, which is saying something.
The weekend was great, though, and the hour-long drive to my parents was totally worth it.
Charlie was amazing with Tessa. She isn’t the easiest person to connect with, yet Charlie did, and she helped her in a way I couldn’t have, since I hadn’t even sensed there was a problem.
I swear, Charlie is just magic when it comes to seeing into a person’s heart .
My parents love Charlie, too. My mom has texted me a good five times since we left their house yesterday to tell me so. Charlie seems to be pulling back, though. I felt it to some degree almost the whole time we were in Bridleford.
And for some reason, it feels like The Shadowridge is pulling back, too.
I worry that someone is going to break in again, even though I’ve taken ample precautions.
I love this place and don’t want to lose it.
I just need it long enough to get it fully restored and looking the way my grandpa hoped it would look again someday, back when he first showed it to me more than fifteen years ago.
I keep thinking that maybe if I hold onto it tightly enough, including obsessively checking the security camera footage, it’ll know how much I care, and I’ll get to keep it.
I know that doesn’t make rational sense, but it’s what I’ve got.
Even though I know that life is under no obligation to be fair.
My crew is all leaving for the day, so I’m surprised when I hear a knock on my doorframe and turn around to see Luis.
“Hey, boss. Can I come in?”
“Of course.” I motion to the extra folding chair, and he takes a seat.
“I just wanted to check in and see how you’re doing. You’ve seemed off today.”
Normally, in a situation like this, I would paste on a smile and say that I’m doing great. But for whatever reason, I say what I’m thinking. “I don’t know. I just feel like everything is on the verge of falling apart.”
“With Charlie?” he asks, concern in his voice.
I know there was some awkwardness when we ran into Audrey, just like there is any time anyone runs into an ex.
I don’t know how much that is playing into Charlie pulling back.
I’d like to think it isn’t at all—I mean, there’s a reason Audrey and I broke up.
When I brought it up on the drive back to Cipher Springs, Charlie said everything was good.
And really, there is nothing concrete with any of my worries. It’s just a feeling.
I answer Luis by saying, “With everything. No one is going to stick around when things get tough.”
“And you anticipate things getting tough?”
“Seems to be the way things go.”
There haven’t been any signs—at least not signs that Luis would’ve seen—about things not going well for The Shadowridge.
Really, there’s nothing concrete with that, either.
Not besides a single super-quick break-in where nothing was stolen and nothing was damaged.
They’re just hunches. But that leaves Luis to assume that I must be talking only about Charlie, because he leans back in his chair and asks, “Have you ever dated someone while on a job?”
I shake my head. “Charlie’s the first in a while. I’m kind of breaking my own rule.”
“That because of all the moving around?”
“Yeah. New place, new project, new start. Feels easier to keep it simple.”
He nods like he gets it. “So…what happened with the last ones? Before Charlie.”
I raise an eyebrow. “What is this, therapy hour?”
He shrugs. “Hey, you’re the one who said you feel like everything’s about to fall apart. I’m just trying to figure out what ‘everything’ means.”
Fair. I blow out a breath. “Okay, well. With Audrey—who Charlie and I ran into yesterday—things were always kind of surface-level. Never got deep. Celeste… I think she mostly liked that I could fix things. It was less love, more free handyman.”
Luis snorts. “Oof.”
“Right? Then Lily. I was swamped with work and school, and started pulling back without meaning to. I figured she’d fight for us or at least ask what was going on. She didn’t. We just… faded out.
“And then there was Alina. We liked the same stuff, but we were heading in different directions, and neither of us wanted to course correct.”
Luis is quiet for a beat, then says, “So basically… either they weren’t really in it long-term, or you weren’t, which reinforced your belief that no one sticks around.”
I blink. “Wow. Thanks, Dr. Phil.”
He holds up a hand. “I’m just saying, now you’re with someone who might actually stay, and your brain’s already halfway packed for the breakup.”
That hits a little too close to home. “You think I’m pushing Charlie away?” Am I? Is that why she’s pulling away? Or maybe she’s in the same place and I’m the one pulling away?
Luis shrugs. “I don’t know. But you should probably ask yourself that before she starts believing it too.”
I nod because I should. But not right here, and not right now. Whining to a friend about my fears is not the way I operate. I channel my normal self and paste on a smile. Not only does it generally keep me from conversations like this, but it usually makes me feel better, too.
I shut my laptop and stand. “Do you know what? Everything is going to be fine.” I clap Luis on the shoulder as he stands. “Everything works out in the end, so if it hasn’t worked out yet, it isn’t the end, right?”
Luis is looking at me like he doesn’t really trust that I am fine, but I keep my smile in place. “Come on. Let’s go home. You’ve got a great wife and daughter waiting for you.” Then we both head down the stairs, and I make sure the building is locked up tightly before I leave.