Chapter 19
Sadie
As I leave work on Monday, I’m just congratulating myself on trying cycling and getting my code to compile when Jake straightens from the building across the street.
My steps falter. He’s like a dog with a bone.
Of course he’s not going to back off where money is concerned.
Why didn’t I check before I left? Has my mom talked to him?
Is that why he’s here? I groan internally.
He could easily get into the office and make a scene.
Though I’m sure Williams Security values me more now that I’ve worked for them for a handful of months, and James and I are friendly, they’re also happy to fire people when it gets serious enough, like they did with Rodriguez.
It’s bad enough that James met Jake; imagine if everyone saw him …
saw what my stepdad is like … Nope. Nope.
I lower my head and pick up the pace. A man in a suit is ahead of me, earbuds in, heading home. Home. Damn, I’ve got another problem here, haven’t I? If Jake follows me, he’ll work out where I live.
“Sadie!”
His voice echoes between the tall buildings on Water Street. Being yelled at in public by a lunatic: every girl’s dream. I lift my head, eyes darting past the man in front of me. Where could I go to throw him off the scent?
“Sadie, hold up!”
I break out into a trot. I can outrun Jake; he’s not exactly fit.
“Goddammit!” is all I hear shouted behind me.
I turn down Wall Street, diving through the scaffolding that overhangs the sidewalk before taking a sharp right.
Some construction fencing comes into view several buildings down, and as I’m passing, a door opens and a guy in a hard hat walks out tapping a cigarette out of a packet.
I stutter to a halt and then dive past him through the doorway.
Here I am again, running away. Goddamn my life.
“Hey!” he says. “What the fuck? You’re not allowed in there!”
I lean against the back of the plywood, just inside the door, and he steps back in and stares at me.
“I’m being chased. Shut the door!” I say, waving my hand at it, and I have no idea what my face is doing, because he blinks at me, then miraculously jerks his chin up and says:
“I’m having a smoke. I’ll keep an eye out.” And he shuts the door with him on the outside of it.
Thank God for construction workers. I lean back against the wood.
It’s dusty, but who the fuck cares? My chest heaves in and out.
Did Jake see me come in here? I tilt forward and put my hands on my knees, sucking in a deep breath.
Muffled voices reach me from the other side of the plywood, and I almost stop breathing altogether.
“Did you see anyone come down this way?” a voice says.
Jake.
“What?”
“A girl? Running?”
“Just come out here two seconds ago for a smoke, man. Not seen no one.”
Silence. I slowly breathe out. I don’t want to go back to Des’s apartment now.
I really don’t want to risk Jake following me and discovering where I live.
I want to groan out loud. Why the hell has he turned up again?
If Jake spent more time working and less time harassing me, he could earn enough money to pay off whatever this bullshit debt is he’s got himself into.
The door opens beside me, and the guy in the hard hat comes back through it.
“He’s gone off down the street,” he says, gesturing to his left.
“Thanks,” I say, pressing my hand to my chest. “I really appreciate it.”
“You okay?” he adds, eyes scanning my face.
“I’m fine,” I say, and he narrows his eyes on me for a second then shrugs and disappears into the site.
Probably assuming I’m another Manhattan crazy he doesn’t want to get involved with.
I stick my head out of the doorway. A few office workers are heading along the sidewalk, but there’s no sign of Jake.
I stand for a couple of minutes peering down the road before stepping out.
Perhaps James would be sympathetic. At least he’s met my stepdad and has some idea of what he’s like.
Whatever, Sadie! I need to quit worrying.
It’s not like I can impress James now—the thought is almost laughable—we’re way past worrying what the other person thinks.
I think we’ve both seen each other at our worst. I scuttle back toward the office along a different route, checking behind me every few seconds.
Once I’m back on Water Street, I dart under an overhang a couple of doors down and scan around.
The entrance is tantalizingly close. I pull my phone out of my pocket and turn it over in my hand:
Hi James, a bit of an odd request. Could you look out of the window and see if you can spot my stepdad anywhere?
The response comes back immediately:
What? You think he came back here?
I can’t tell him I know damn well he came back here and he’s just chased me down the street, now can I?
Yeah. I want to make sure he’s not staking out the office.
I hope he is because I’ll call the cops.
Oh, shit! The dots appear again:
Where are you?
Outside Duane Reade.
I’m at the main door.
Already?
On my way.
As I hurry along the sidewalk, James is standing there, arms folded on his chest, glowering. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him glower. His eyes scan me up and down.
“What made you think he’d come back again?” he says, looking up and down the street. He turns and opens the door to the building and gestures me inside. I don’t fully breathe until the door clicks shut behind us.
“He was across the street when I left.”
He comes to an abrupt halt. “He was waiting for you?”
“I … I … It’s my fault. I didn’t check outside before I left.”
His eyes widen. “Your fault? It’s that asshole’s fault. We should call the cops, Sadie. I’m serious. We can’t have someone harassing you at your workplace, stepdad or not. Did he do anything?” His eyes scan down my body again.
“He didn’t get close enough for that. He called my name from over the street, so I took off and managed to hide.”
Christ. I shouldn’t have told him that. He straightens, chest puffing up, eyebrows raised.
“What the hell. You hid?”
“It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Not a big deal? He hit you! I’d call that a big deal.”
I flap my hand at him. “Jake’s just an asshole. Please don’t worry about him. I’ll message my mom and find out what’s going on.”
I can tell he doesn’t like that answer, but I can’t tell James that Jake wants money.
He doesn’t know about him touching me, either.
All he saw was that bruise, and he put two and two together; he’s far too astute.
I feel like the biggest idiot alive for not paying more attention to how much Jake was sponging off us.
“I’m hoping he does turn up, Sadie. I’d give him a piece of my mind. You should report him to the police.”
“Let me talk to my mom first.”
James scrunches his face.
“I’m sorry, James. I know it’s not great to have an employee that …” I start, but he reaches out and squeezes my arm and a bolt runs up to my shoulder.
“It’s not that at all. We’re friends, yeah? Good friends. I’m worried about you, Sadie. Promise you’ll call me if he turns up here again.”
I nod, and he narrows his eyes at me for a few seconds before turning back toward the elevator and pressing the button. I stand next to him, trying to calm my breath as I stare at the creases in his blue chinos. His big hand is right there, and the temptation to lean on him is almost irresistible.
When we reach the office, only a couple of people are still here, engrossed in their screens. I sink down at my desk and pull up the text stream with my mom:
Jake turned up at the office to hassle me. You need to tell him not to do that. My boss had to get involved. I could lose my job!
He came to your work?
Yes. He’s been here before.
What?
Last time he came, he was hassling me for money. Did you talk to him about him touching me?
Yes. He said he didn’t do anything.
God, seriously? Then another message appears:
I don’t believe him, Sadie. I’ll talk to him about turning up at your office. We’re a bit tight for cash at the moment.
What? A bit tight? If this debt thing Jake’s mentioned is true, she’ll lose her mind. I type in:
Can I call you?
Not at the moment. I’m on a waitressing job. I’m not supposed to be using my phone.
Okay, Mom. Sorry. Let me know when you’re done.
I’ll be home in an hour.
None of this sounds good to me. If mom says things are tight, it must be bad, and I diverted my paycheck to my own savings account.
Shit. She always puts a gloss on everything, so I don’t worry.
It took me years to realize that. What the hell is going on?
I’m going to have to go out to Queens and talk to her again. Maybe I could do that tonight.
I stand up and head across the floor to the office kitchen.
I’ll grab a coffee before I head out again: Hopefully Jake will have gone by the time I finish it.
But James is propped against the countertop, his long body leaning on a cupboard as he reads something on his phone.
His head lifts as I walk in and head to the fridge.
He’s dressed casually today, and I try not to track down his ripped jeans. I swear they’re painted on him.
“You okay?” he says. “Are you heading back home soon?”
Has he been waiting for me? “I thought I might head to my mom’s, try and talk to her, and collect some of my stuff,” I say.
He peers at me over his glasses. “Right now? And you’re bringing more things to the apartment? You’re moving in permanently?”
Shit. “Well, we haven’t talked about it, but …”
He tilts his head. “I’m not the ogre you thought I was, huh?” My face heats as he shakes his head at me. “I’m kidding. I’d love you to stay, Sadie.”
I turn away so he can’t see my expression and press the button on the coffee machine. “Thanks” is all I manage to get out.
“I’ll come and give you a hand.”