Page 163 of Time Stops With You

He tells me it’s not a big deal and he comes over in the blink of an eye.

“Is everything alright, Ms. Davis?” Roger asks, glancing at me in the rearview mirror as he drives.

“The school is having a fundraiser today. I’m the designated decorator, so I’ll have a lot of work to do.”

“Alone?” I see him glancing at my wrist brace.

“Yeah.”

“Hm.”

“Hard work doesn’t scare me. And volunteeringismy responsibility,” I reason.

Roger says nothing more.

He drops me off at the school. I wipe the sleep from my eyes, hide a yawn behind my hand and enter the auditorium.

Thankfully, all the booths have already been set in place, but the decorations are still in boxes. Cathleen sent me images of what she wants these booths to look like when I’m done. It’s annoying but, ultimately, I have to do a good job for the kids like Josiah who’ll benefit from the fundraiser.

“Well, Nardi,” I lift my chin and put my braids into a bun, “let’s get to work.”

I separate the boxes and begin untangling a string of fairy lights so I can start with the first booth. It’s hard work with the wrist brace. Rather than unwrap the lights, I end up wrapping myself in them instead.

“Come on, come on. Where’s the end of this knot?” I grumble, fumbling with the Christmas lights equivalent of a boa constrictor around my ribs.

Just then, I hear the auditorium doors bang open.

Steady footsteps thump against the wooden floors.

I whirl around and my eyes widen. Cullen storms into the auditorium, wearing his usual T-shirt, jeans, and beanie.

But he’s not alone.

Dr. Young is here.

So is Sara and Asad.

More and more people pile into the room. I recognize some of the programmers I saw during the presentation and the receptionist too.

I rise to my feet slowly, so shocked I can hardly breathe.

All of Cullen Tech is here.

Seventeen

CULLEN

The sight of Nardi standing alone in an auditorium sets my blood boiling. There are at least seven booths.Seven.Not to mention the actual decorating of the auditorium itself.

Which heartless creature expected her to accomplish all of this on her own? With her arm injured, no less?

“Cullen?” Nardi’s eyelashes blink up a storm. “What are you doing here? Why iseveryonehere?”

“Not everyone,” I answer calmly. “Only the ones who could make it on short notice.”

She glances around in shock. “Which is pretty much the entire company.” Her nose scrunches. “Except Jenna. By the way, I heard she quit. What happened? It seemed like she never planned on leaving Cullen Tech.”

Just thinking about Jenna gives me a massive headache.

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