Repeat(48)

But that doesn’t stop me watching and rewatching the figure. Rewind. Play. Slo-mo.

My heart thumps in my chest as I stare into the footage. Maybe the figure is unrecognizable. But that doesn’t seem to matter. Because for the first time I am actually seeing them, the person who’s out to ruin me. It’s not just some crazy paranoia or a figment of my imagination. I feel sure of it. It’s a real human being out to get me and I’m watching them right now. A crazy cocktail of fear and anger swirls in my stomach.

Rewind. Play. Slo-mo.



*



“She’s still here? What not a surprise.” Tessa is sitting on the front steps to Ed’s condo when we return that evening. Her boyfriend, Nevin, is rubbing her shoulders. The boy needs to work harder, however, because she still looks stressed as fuck. If she isn’t, I sure as hell am.

“Clem,” says Shannon, the receptionist from the parlor, leaning on the stair rail beside them. “Hey.”

“Hi.” I raise a hand in greeting.

“You’re early,” says Ed, calm as can be. Obviously he was expecting them and didn’t warn me. I try to keep a blank face. Try.

“Damn.” Nevin laughs. “She’s just as happy to see us as we are to see her. This was a great idea, Ed. Seriously, man, good work.”

“It’s pizza night. This is what we always do.” Ed frowns ever so slightly. “Clem, it’s not a problem they’re here, is it?”

“No. Absolutely not. All good.”

Tessa laughs. “Oh, your fake smile is awful. You might want to work on that.”

“It is fine. I just wasn’t expecting . . .” The words trail off and I shut my mouth. Mostly, I feel tired.

“Tessa, give her a break,” says Ed. “She’s had a shit day, okay?”

Immediately, Tessa groans. “All right, all right. I heard about the paint thing at your work. Did you get it cleaned up okay?”

“Yeah.” I nod. “Thanks.”

Ed frowns. “Leif should be home.”

“No answer when we buzzed.” Nevin gets to his feet and holds out his hand. Ed throws the keys to him. Then the visitors head inside, giving Ed and I a moment alone.

“Sorry I didn’t warn you,” he says. “They’re normally over once a week for dinner and drinks. I thought it might be a welcome distraction from everything that’s been going on.”

“It’s okay. Really. Just a surprise. But is me being here okay?”

“Absolutely. You sure?”

“Yes. I mean, it’s great that you have such close friends.”

“They’re your friends too.”

I give him the look of much disbelief.

“All right, so there’s some tension between you and Tessa right now. You’ll work it out. Just give it a chance, okay?” His hand kneads the back of my neck, turning me into agreeable mush. No wonder Nevin had been doing it to Tessa. What a superpower. Such magical strong fingers put to great use. Lord only knows the sort of things Ed could make me agree to when he’s touching me this way. His lips brush over my jawline all warm and perfect like. “You with me, Clem? And then later, when they’re gone . . .”

“Yes?”

Oh, his laugh is so low, faintly evil, and full of erotic promise. My blood surges hot at the sound.

And the potential for further kissing later on is more than sufficient to get me inside. As we walk down the apartment building hallway, a door opens up farther down. Our neighbor, Tim, sticks his head out, see’s it’s us, and then shuts the door. Though I could have sworn some leering/naked imagining was going on when his gaze swept over me. So gross. The man is a creeper. That’s a definite.

Inside the condo, Gordon greets us with much sniffing, butt wiggling, and wagging of his tail. From one of the comfy chairs, Leif just smiles, his hair still wet from the shower. No wonder he didn’t hear our guests buzz.

Honestly, I was a bit relieved when I realized Leif had just been in the shower. It shouldn’t have meant anything, him not answering the door. But courtesy of this morning’s shenanigans, my paranoia was on a hair trigger, and crazy scenarios shot through my mind the moment anything was out of place.

Shannon sits on the big couch with Tessa and Nevin sprawled out beside her. In Tessa’s hands is her cell, thumbs busy on the screen. “I put in the days of yore regular order multiplied by two since Leif and Shannon are here. It shouldn’t be long. I’m starving.”

“What’s the days of yore regular?” I ask.

“She means the pizza order from back when you used to live here last time. One mushroom and bacon, and one chicken and basil.” In the kitchen, Ed takes the caps off four bottles of beer. Once they’re handed out, he grabs a seat, drawing me onto his lap. I think it’s a statement. It feels like a statement, one meant not only for his guests but to me also, the girl perched awkwardly on his knee. And sure enough, Tessa raises a brow at the move. Shannon just gives me a limp sort of smile, gaze shifting between me and Ed. Given how damning she was regarding mine and Ed’s previous attempt at coupledom, this must be bizarre for her. Perhaps she’s worried how much of her vaguely hostile and blathering point of view I’ve shared with her employer regarding his personal life. People have probably been fired for less. But like I even have the energy to stir such pointless shit.