Dare Me(42)

“Then I’ll pick her back up,” I answer easily. Because I will. I’ll do anything for her.

Evelyn shakes her head, sad. “She’s not going to let you.”

“She doesn’t have a choice,” I tell her with determination. “Pushing me away isn’t an option.”

Evelyn nods now. “She’s going to do everything and anything to sabotage this. She’s a good person, Holt. She really is. But she’s afraid, and she will let go of you.”

“Well, when she lets go, I’ll be sure to hold on tighter. I’m not letting her go that easy, Evelyn.”

Tears fill Evelyn’s eyes then, and my stomach turns as I replay the details of what she’s told me over and over in my mind of Saige witnessing her father’s suicide.

“Does she know you’re here?” I ask. She shakes her head no. I nod once. “Thank you for telling me this.”

“Holt.” She takes a deep breath. “Saige is my best friend. She’s smart, and beautiful, and an amazing person . . . but she’s so lost right now. On the outside, she has it all together, but on the inside, she’s a mess. I’m begging you not to hurt her, because I’m so afraid she won’t be able to handle it—and I promised myself I wouldn’t let anything happen to her.”

I look Evelyn in the eye. “Nothing is going to happen to her. I promise I won’t hurt her.”

She stands up and runs her hands along the front of her jeans. “Thank you for talking to me. I know you weren’t expecting me.”

“Evelyn.” I shake my head in frustration. “You’re welcome anytime.”

“Thank you,” she says, forcing a stiff smile and glancing at the time on her phone. “I need to catch the train back. Please don’t tell Saige I stopped by. She’d be angry.”

“I won’t say a word. But wait here just a minute.” I hold my finger up to pause her. I jog up the stairs and throw on a pair of tennis shoes and a baseball hat. Meeting Evelyn near the front door, I grab the keys from the side table. “I’ll drive you home. I don’t like you ladies taking the train this late at night.”

“I do it all the time.” She crinkles her forehead in annoyance.

I’m not taking no for an answer. “Not when I can take you home. Let’s go.” I guide her out the front door to my car, which is parked in the drive. It only takes a few minutes on the quiet streets to get back to Evelyn and Saige’s place. From the street, their condo appears to be dark except for the flicker of the TV that you can see through the large glass window. I wonder if Saige is watching TV or is sleeping, and as much as I want to go up to see her, I send Evelyn in alone.



I hardly sleep thinking of everything Evelyn told me. Saige losing her father, I knew about. His suicide, I knew about. Her finding him . . . seeing him . . . holding him, I knew nothing about. I finally give up on sleep around four thirty in the morning. Frustrated, I throw off the covers, pull on a pair of jogging pants and a t-shirt, lace up my tennis shoes, and hit the streets. I want a nice long run this morning. I’m hoping it clears my head.

It’s still dark and the streets are eerily quiet. I’ve always found that the time between four and five thirty in the morning to be the most desolate hours outside. Life seems to literally stop between these ninety minutes. My feet carry me mile by mile down the Chicago Lakefront path. I run for miles, feeling my lungs sting with the cool Lake Michigan air. At this hour, I only pass a few other runners.

Turning around after five miles, I push myself harder on the way back. While I feel exhaustion begin to set in, the adrenaline from running keeps me moving, and I make it back to the house at about five forty-five. That clocks me at just over a seven-minute mile. While I should be happy about these running times, all I can think about is Saige. I need to give her space while still letting her know that I have no intention of going anywhere.

I shower and head into the office, finding it fairly quiet at seven o’clock in the morning. I catch up on the work I put off yesterday, and I make a few client calls to some of our past and prospective clients in the United Kingdom. By the time my calls are done, the office is abuzz with activity and I walk the floor, anxious to see Saige.

My stomach drops when I find her desk empty, but I glance at my watch to see that it’s eight fifteen. She’s out getting her coffee with Rowan. Suddenly, my stomach calms, and a small smile tugs at my lips.

On my way back to my office, Joyce shoots me a look of annoyance.

“Yes, Joyce?” I wait for her to respond.

Joyce has worked for me for more than ten years. I can read her moods like a book, and she’s in a doozy of one this morning. I shove my hands into the front pockets of my suit pants and wait for her to dish out her disappointment in me. I’m curious what it is today. Yesterday, it was that I needed a haircut. The day before, it was that I hadn’t returned my mother’s calls. Last week, it was that I needed to start dating. If she weren’t such a damn good administrative assistant, I’d fire her for being too much like a mother instead of an employee.

“I need ten minutes to meet with you regarding the client cocktail party.”

“Throw some time on my calendar.”

Her voice grows agitated. “No. I’ve tried that. You’re too busy. I need you this morning. Now! I need to finalize details, and I won’t take no for an answer.”