Page 114 of I Hope This Finds You Well

But I can’t walk past him without himseeing me. And that makes my knees wobble. I take a few steps onto the freshly glossed tile before I feel his gaze land on me. I don’t pause to acknowledge him, just take off running to the elevator. As soon as I’m inside, I repeatedly press the door shut button. Kyle appears right in front of me at the threshold as the doors start closing. His stare bores into my pores. “You’re still crazy,” he spits, voice low so only I can hear. “You shouldn’t have messed with Caitlin.” The door closes.

His words bounce in the elevator, hitting me again and again until they eventually rest inside me. As soon as I’m up on my floor, I rip toward the pods, rapidly scanning the area. Caitlin’s not at her desk. Adrenaline pumps through me with every beat of my pulse. I charge toward Garret. “Where’s Caitlin?” I demand.

His stare flickers across my face, and he leans back like I’m a wild animal. “She had to step out... But what are you doing?”

And maybe I really have gone feral, because I ignore Garret and zero in on Rhonda next. She’s picking at something in her hair. My ribs tighten.

It’s like I’m not in my body as I make my way closer. I step toward the edge of her cubicle. Her chair squeaks as she turns toward me. “Hello, dear! Caitlin said you guys were here until almost midnight.”

“Have you seen her?” My voice is hoarse and foreign on my lips.

Rhonda’s eyebrows knit together. “I’m sure she’ll be back soon. In the meantime, could you help me with this document? I’m trying to change the color...”

But Armin pulls my arm from behind and says, “Can you come here a sec?” Something in his expression catches me enough to follow him to the quiet corner near the watercooler. His jaw ticks. “We need to tell our moms the truth.Today.My mom just texted me. They’re on hold with the Palliser to book it as a wedding venue. Do you know how expensive that’s going to be?”

Shit. “Okay, we’ll do it. Just give me a few—”

“No, Jolene,” Armin cuts in urgently. “We have to do itnow. I can’t hold them off anymore.”

I nod aggressively and practically yell, “Yes—okay, okay, we’ll just—”

Anna, the office manager, appears out of nowhere and pushes past him. Her expression is blank beneath her blunt bangs. “Miss Smith, you need to come to the boardroom right away. We need to have a meeting with HR.”

Oh man, my final HR report is due from Cliff today. “I’ll go as soon as I can. I just need to talk to Caitlin.”

Anna shakes her head. “I really meantnow.”

Suddenly I realize that Randal the security guard is standing behind her. I should’ve known something big was happening for Anna to come to our floor. Randal’s eyes droop like he hates what he’s about to do. “Jolene, can you come with us, please?”

My nails squeeze against the flesh of my palms, and I’m afraid I’m about to snap from everything. “Yes. But I have to let someone know something. It’s a matter of safe—”

“Now.”

The whole room freezes.I’ma scene. Everyone in the office is peeking up from their cubicles at me like little gophers from their holes. How had I not noticed them?

I follow Randal toward the boardroom, a cloak of tension surrounding us. Nobody bothers to even whisper to each other as I pass them by.

Entering the boardroom is like delving into a stiff and dry cave. Gregory sits at the end of the table, clearing his throat. Cliff is beside him, focusing on his notepad, not a doodle in sight. A rock forms in the middle of my stomach, because in the very last seat is Caitlin.

“Are you okay?” I ask her. “Kyle’s in the lobby.” My words come out in a croak.

Caitlin stares through me, arms not crossed so much as curled around herself. My stomach twists. Whatever happened between us last night, the switch has been flicked.

I stumble toward the chair Armin tested yesterday, eyes focused on the floor.

Cliff speaks first. “We’ve had some concerning information brought to our attention that we’re hoping to clear up.” His voice is firm, but he sounds a million miles away. And when I draw my gaze to him, he won’t look directly at me, staring instead at my forehead.

Gregory’s lips tease a smile. He quickly covers his mouth by pretending to rub his mustache, but not that quickly.

Cliff continues: “Caitlin reported that last night you interfered with a private correspondence between her and her partner, and that you tried to convince her to leave her partner?”

Caitlin perches in her chair, her gaze soft and distant, staring through me like a porcelain doll. Her hands rest neatly on the table, but her lips quaver, and she’s so far gone from the person I spoke to yesterday.

A wave of fear flashes. Kyle is still in the lobby. I address her directly. “Are you safe? Is he forcing you here?” My voice is shaky, my throat tight.

Instantly her eyes gain focus, her chin rises. She turns to the others and says, “This is what I’m talking about.”

Cliff winces and his jaw tightens, yet he won’t look at me—or speakup. Anna, who took the seat between Caitlin and Cliff, scribbles on her notepad, and Gregory mouth breathes from his perch in the corner.