Reflected in You(111)

Everything was fine and then it wasn't, and shortly after that the police were telling us about Nathan.


I figured one thing was linked to the other."


"Makes sense."


He frowned.


"I guess."


"But Nathan was at the Crossfire the Monday before you were attacked.


I know he was there to see Gideon.


I know it.


Nathan wouldn't go there to see me.


Not a place like that with all the security and people I know around."


He sat back.


"Okay.


So what does that mean?" "It means Gideon was fine after Nathan."


I threw up my hands.


"He was fine that whole week.


He was more than fine that weekend we took off together.


He was fine Monday morning after we got back.


Then - bam - he lost his f*cking mind and went crazy on me Monday night."


"I'm following."


"So what happened on Monday?" Cary's brows rose.


"You're asking me?" "Grr."


I grabbed my hair in my hands.


"I'm asking the f*cking universe.


God.


Anyone.


What the hell happened to my boyfriend?" "I thought we agreed you need to ask him."


"I get two answers from him: Trust me and wait.


He gave my ring back today."


I showed him my hand.


"And he's still wearing the one I gave him.


Do you have any idea how confusing that is? They're not just rings, they're promises.


They're symbols of ownership and commitment.


Why would he still wear his? Why is it so important to him that I wear mine? Does he seriously expect me to wait while he screws Corinne out of his system?" "Is that what you think he's doing? Really?" Closing my eyes, I let my head fall back.


"No.


And I can't decide if that makes me na?ve or willfully delusional."


"Does this Dr.


Lucas guy have anything to do with this?" "No."


I straightened and joined him on the couch.


"Did you find anything?" "Kind of hard, baby girl, when I don't know what I'm looking for."


"It's just a hunch."


I looked at his screen.


"What's that?" "A transcript of an interview with Brett that was done yesterday on a Florida radio station."


"Oh? What are you reading that for?""I was listening to 'Golden' and decided to run a search on it, and this came up."


I tried reading, but my angle was bad.


"What's it say?" "He was asked if there's really an Eva out there and he said yes, there is, and he recently reconnected with her and hopes to make it work out a second time."


"What? No way!" "Yes way."


Cary grinned.


"So you've got your rebound man lined up if Cross doesn't get his shit together."


I pushed to my feet.


"Whatever.


I'm hungry.


Want something?" "If your appetite's back, that's a good sign."


"Everything's coming back," I told him.


"With a vengeance."


* * *


I was waiting at the curb for Angus the next morning.


He pulled up and Paul, the doorman for my apartment building, opened the back door for me.


"Good morning, Angus," I greeted him."Good morning, Miss Tramell."


His gaze met mine in the rearview mirror, and he smiled.


As he started to pull away, I leaned forward between the two front seats.


"Do you know where Corinne Giroux lives?" He glanced at me.


"Yes."


I sat back.


"That's where I want to go."


* * *


Corinne lived around the corner from Gideon.


I was certain that wasn't a coincidence.


I checked in with the front desk and waited twenty minutes before I was given permission to go up to the tenth floor.


I rang the bell to her apartment and the door swung open to reveal a flushed and disheveled Corinne in a floor-length black silk robe.


She was seriously gorgeous, with her silky black hair and eyes like aquamarines, and she moved with a lithe grace I admired.


I'd armored up in my favorite gray sleeveless dress and was very glad I had.


She made me feel downright homely.


"Eva," she said breathlessly.


"What a surprise."


"I'm sorry to barge in uninvited.


I just need to ask you something real quick."


"Oh?" She kept the door partially closed and leaned into the jamb.


"Can I come in?" I asked tightly.