"Good."
He smiled.
"I'm really glad to hear that."
We dived back into work, but thoughts of Gideon weighed heavily on my mind.
I kept staring at my ring, remembering what he had said when he'd first given it to me: The Xs are me holding on to you.
Wait.
For him? For him to come back to me? Why? I couldn't understand why he'd cut me off the way he had, then expected me to take him back.
Especially with Corinne in the picture.
I spent the rest of the afternoon going over the last few weeks in my mind, recalling conversations I'd had with Gideon, things he'd said or done, searching for answers.
When I left the Crossfire at the end of the day, I saw the Bentley waiting out front and waved at Angus, who smiled back.
I had issues with his boss, but Angus wasn't to blame for them.
It was hot and muggy outside.
Miserable.
I went to the Duane Reade around the corner for a bottle of cold water to drink on the walk home and a bag of mini chocolates to enjoy once I got through my Krav Maga class.
When I left the drugstore, Angus was waiting just outside the door at the curb, shadowing me.
As I turned the corner back toward the Crossfire to start the trip home, I saw Gideon step out to the street with Corinne.
His hand was at the small of her back, leading her toward a sleek black Mercedes sedan I recognized as one of his.
She was smiling.
His expression was inscrutable.
Horrified, I couldn't move or look away.
I stood there in the middle of the crowded sidewalk, my stomach twisting with grief and anger and a terrible, awful feeling of betrayal.
He looked up and saw me, freezing in place just as I had.
The Latino driver I'd met the day my father arrived opened the back door and Corinne disappeared into the car.
Gideon remained where he was, his gaze locked with mine.
There was no way he missed me lifting my hand and flipping him the bird.Abruptly, I was struck by a thought.
I turned my back to Gideon and moved off to the side, digging into my purse for my phone.
When I found it, I speed-dialed my mom, and when she answered, I said, "That day we went out to lunch with Megumi, you freaked out on the walk back to the Crossfire.
You saw him, didn't you? Nathan.
You saw Nathan at the Crossfire."
"Yes," she admitted.