Page 228 - It Ends with Us

Chapter Twenty-Seven

My ha nd is tremb ling when I rea ch for the doorkno b. I’ve nev er onc e
been scared to walk int o my own busines s bef ore, but I’ve also nev er
been thi s on ed ge.
The building is dark when I ent er it, so I flip on the light s, ho lding

my brea th. I walk slowly to my offic e, pushi ng the door open with
caution.
He’s no where, yet he’s ev er ywhere.
When I take a sea t at my des k, I turn on my pho ne for the firs t time
sinc e I went to bed last ni ght . I want ed a good ni ght ’s sleep witho ut

ha ving to worr y about whet her or no t R yle was trying to cont act me.
When it powers on, I ha ve twent y-ni ne missed tex ts from R yle. It
just so ha ppens to be the same nu mber of doors R yle kno cked on to
find my apartment last yea r.
I don’t kno w whet her to laugh or cry at the irony.
I spend the res t of the day like thi s. Glanc ing over my sho ulder,
looking up at the door ev er y time it opens . I wond er if he’s ruined

me. If the fea r of hi m will ev er lea ve me.
Half a day goes by witho ut a sing le pho ne call from hi m whi le I
catch up on paper work. Allysa calls me after lunc h and I can tel l by
her voice tha t she ha s no idea about the fig ht R yle and I ha d. I let her
talk about the baby for a whi le bef ore I pret end I ha ve a customer and
ha ng up.

I plan on lea ving when Lucy ret urns from her lunc h brea k. She ha s
ha lf an ho ur lef t.
R yle walks thro ugh the front door three minu tes later.
I’m the onl y one here.
As soon as I see hi m, I turn stone cold. I’m stand ing behi nd the
count er, my ha nd on the cash reg ister bec ause it’s close to the stapler.
I’m sure a stapler couldn’t do much ha rm agains t the arms of a

neu rosurgeo n, but I’ll use what I ha ve.