Page 191 of Time Stops With You

Big T grunts. “I’m not gonna say thank you or anything.” He backs away. “But since you seem to be coming around more, I won’t step on Nardi anymore, so you don’t have to worry.”

He starts to walk away.

“Big T,” I say clumsily.

He stops and looks at me.

“Even if I stop coming around,” my eyes darken, “stay away from Nardi.”

I skip Darrel and Sunny’s party on Sunday. On Monday morning, my employees file in to work. I hear them, but I have my blinds down which is an effective ‘do not disturb’ sign.

Asad and Dr. Young knock on the door and ask about me.

I ignore them.

It’s Sara who finally dares to enter the lion’s den. She finds me in my office, working away like a madman.

“Oh my gosh, Cullen! What happened in here?”

I stop typing and look at her. Then I look around. There are crushed energy drink bottles at my feet and rolling around my desk. Crumpled paper balls with my scribbled ideas are intermittently scattered in the mess.

A glance at my reflection in a computer monitor reveals a beard forming around my upper lip. Scrubbing a hand down my cheek, I feel the hair there and realize that I probably look as messy as my office.

Sara picks past the mess of cans and sets her hand against my powerful desktop computer.

“Ouch!” She yelps and yanks her hand back. “Cullen, this CPU is piping hot. Have you been working in here all weekend?”

I peer at the light coming from the windows in my office. “Have I?”

“You hate being dirty.” She rushes around, picking up the mess of bottles. “How were you sitting in here like this? And youshouldn’t be drinking energy drinks with your medication.” She stops. “Have younotbeen taking your meds?”

“If you’re going to nag, go outside.”

Sara’s lips pin together. “What iswrongwith you? Are you trying to shorten the little time you have left?”

I stare up at her, annoyed.

“Why didn’t you go home?” she insists.

“I wouldn’t be able to sleep even if I did go home,” I mumble.

“The last place you should be right now is here working.” Her voice cracks. “I know you’ve made your decision, but you should be traveling or bungee jumping or eating ice cream or doing things youactuallywant to do.”

“I’d rather be here than anywhere else in the world,” I tell her.

“Why? Do you love workthatmuch?”

“Nardi’s in this building,” I mumble, my eyes sliding to the computer monitor on my left.

Sara’s heels tap against the ground as she hurries around my desk to see what I’m looking at. The moment she catches sight of the security feed of Nardi’s front door, she gasps.

Covering her mouth, Sara hisses, “Are youstalkingNardi?”

“I’m not stalking her.” I lift my chin a notch. “She hasn’t left her apartment all weekend, so I haven’t seen her at all. That’s not stalking.”

“Did you two break up?” Sara asks.

“No,” I snap.

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