Page 77 of Win My Heart

“Hey.”

She sighs. “I take it you’ve heard.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I try not to sound as pained as I feel. She didn’t tell me anything.

She looks over her shoulder to the girls. “I’m good, you guys.”

Ruby’s eyes narrow. “We can stay.”

Bernadette shakes her head, but I chime in, “I’m not going anywhere.”

If she were in her normal headspace, I would have gotten a death glare, but instead, Bernadette just sighs again and shrugs her shoulders.

“Okay, girl, let us know if you need anything.” Gia squeezes her tightly. “We’ll check in later, and keep us updated.” Over Bernadette’s shoulder, she gives me a look that says, “You better take care of her” before she pulls away.

She gives her friends a soft, genuine smile, but she can’t mask the wariness that’s overcome her whole being.

“Thanks,” she tells them before giving another hug to Ruby. As the girls head to the elevator, Bernadette unlocks her place, and I don’t miss that deep breath she releases, setting her shoulders straight before she pushes open the front door and takes a step in.

My hand goes to the small of her back, letting her know I’m right here. I would have barreled in first, but she needed to take the first step. She needs to take back control.

I close the door behind us, and she drops her purse onto the table. I take in the apartment; not a single thing looks out of place.

“You’re not wearing any shoes,” she says, not looking at me. Her gaze is distant.

I let out a self-deprecating laugh. “There wasn’t any time for shoes.”

She looks at me, quicks a brow, then looks away.

Before I can say anything else, she turns to me and offers up the information I’m in desperate need of. “After we went to the police, we came back here with a couple of officers, and they did a sweep. Then I walked through every room with them and looked for anything out of place or missing.”

My body is tight, and I hate that I wasn’t here by her side. She pulls her eyes from me and surveys her place.

“Nothing was missing. Nothing out of place. I couldn’t find my favorite pair of pj’s—they’re purple—but now that I think about it, I’ve been using the laundry facility down on the first floor because my washer is still broke. So the pj’s probably just got lost in the shuffle. Maybe someone found them. We probably have a lost and found, right?”

She’s void of emotion. Her normal animated voice and the use of her hands and her enthusiasm is missing, and it’s ripping me in two.

I clear my throat before answering her. “I’m sure they do. We can go check later if you want.”

She nods and a quiet hum accompanies.

I stand by, silently waiting for her to continue at her own pace.

“So the police don’t think he was actually in here last night,” she says. “That most likely, everything is just all piling up, and I’m paranoid.”

I bristle at that. She catches my eye. “They said it was normal. That it’s my body and mind telling me to be on alert. They weren’t being rude.” How she knows I needed to be assured of that is beyond me. I need to do something for her, but she’s standoffish, and I don’t want to make things worse.

“Want some water? A snack, a nap? What do you need, Benny?” I use her preferred nickname, and that gets her attention. Her eyes are sleepy, but the side of her lip tips up. It worked. I smile back at her as I move to the kitchen.

“I could use a drink. I’m not hungry, and I most definitely could use a nap.”

I pull open the fridge and find a bottle of water. I twist it open as I take it to her. She drinks a few sips, then wipes the back of her hand across her mouth.

“Do they know who he is?” My words are rough.

She shakes her head. “They don’t. They’re working on it, though. Apparently, Link has a friend, a guy named Ryker Stone. He’s a hacker. A really good one at that. He said he’ll contact him if needed.”

“Hmm. Hopefully it doesn’t get to that.” I scratch my jaw, treading carefully. “Bernadette, why didn’t you tell me?”

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