Page 45 of The Voicemail

I’m shocked by how easy this is. Suspicious, even. After our fight last night, I’m stunned he isn’t insisting I stay locked in his ivory tower. Maybe, just maybe, he’s actually starting to trust my judgment.

I take the win, get dressed, and twenty minutes later I’m in the back of a black SUV with Luca beside me and Marco behind the wheel. I haven’t spent much time with Luca, and I’m realizing he’s nowhere near as comforting as Alex. Frankly, I don’t think he likes me much. He barely says a word the whole way to the gallery.

When we pull up, he opens my door for me and waits silently as I get out.

“We’re watching the building,” he murmurs. “I figured you’d want a little space.”

That’s actually incredibly thoughtful.

“Thank you,” I tell him genuinely.

I walk into work with my head high and the intoxicating feeling of freedom. My high spirits are immediately dampened when I see Claire sitting at her desk.

“Where’s your guard dog?” she asks in a snarky tone.

“What exactly is your problem?” I shoot back.

“I don’t have a problem,” she answers dismissively. “But apparently you do.”

“And just what the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“I know what the flowers and notes are all about,” she says simply.

“I’m not understanding you Claire. I’m being stalked. That’s what the flowers and notes are all about,” I say in frustration.

“Whatever, Elena,” she shoots back. “He said you would say that. You really are just as unstable as he said.”

I laugh hysterically, which probably doesn’t disprove her point.

“I’m unstable?” I scream. “This man tried to break into my apartment while I was home. He’s terrified me and made my life a living hell. And you had the audacity to give him access to me last night.”

Her eyes go wide. “I don’t know what you mean,” she lies, badly.

“Save it, Claire. I know you gave him service access. What would have happened if he’d attacked me here? You would have had to live with that your whole life.”

“No,” she backtracks. “That’s not… you’re lying. He said you’ve been cheating on him and he wanted to catch you in the act.”

“Why the hell would you believe some strange man I’ve never mentioned once over me?” I yell at her. “How stupid can you be, Claire? No, I take that back. You aren’t stupid at all, are you? You’re malicious. You’ve hated me since I started at this job and you’d take any opportunity to hurt me.”

“You’re so dramatic, Elena,” she shoots back, but her face has gone pale and there’s no real power behind her words. “Not everything is about you.”

“Except for this one specific thing that is very much about me,” I remind her. “You’ve watched me throw flowers away for months. You’ve watched me break down, and you’ve seen my safety get chipped away with every new delivery and you just assumed I’m being dramatic? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Her mouth just gapes open and closed like a fish out of water. I turn on my heel and head to Bellamy’s office. “Elena, please! There’s no need to get Mr. Bellamy involved!”

It’s too late, though. My mind is made up. As soon as our debrief is over, I’m telling him everything.

She doesn’t show up to the debrief, though. She’s probably hiding in her office, freaking out about what I’m going to say to Mr. Bellamy. After the staff meeting, I do tell him everything. He’s actually furious on my behalf, which I appreciate. It’s the first time since this whole mess started that I actually feel heard.

I go back to my desk and wait for the fallout. When he returns, though, it’s with less than satisfying news.

“Claire seems to have gone home for the day,” he tells me. “And she isn’t answering her cell phone. She likely knows this is a fireable offense. Don’t worry, Elena. I’ll take care of this as soon as I can get ahold of her.”

I nod and return to my work until Luca comes in five minutes later with a serious look on his face.

“We need to go,” he tells me quietly.

He doesn’t make a scene the way Alex would. He’s more logical than emotional, and efficient enough that I don’t question him when he says we need to leave. I just nod and pack my things. It isn’t until we’re a block away that I work up the nerve to ask what’s happened.