Page 14 of Invisible Scars
“And Diva?” I ask, taking my seat. “Can we keep this—” I hold up my phone “—between us?”
“My lips are sealed,” she promises. “I’ll fetch someone from the tech lab to fix your screen ASAP.”
I feel heat bloom across my face. “They have better things to do.”
“You know the rules, Effie.” Diva shrugs. “Our phones don’t pass through outside hands.”
“Yeah, I know the rules.” I sigh. “Thank you.”
Diva shimmies to the door and closes it behind her.
Alone again, I let the mask slip. My hands tremble, clutching the phone tightly. Fear coils inside me like a venomous snake, ready to strike at any moment. Even though —as far as I know now— Abe hasn’t made any attempts to contact me again after the call two days ago, I still can’t shake the feeling that I’m being watched. It’s suffocating, suffusing my life with an unrelenting sense of dread.
At least Jonah’s backed off. I was sure he’d be hounding me for information, but he seems to have finally grasped the concept of boundaries.
I stare at the cracked screen of my phone, Abe’s threat ringing loud and clear in my head.
You’re going to want to hear me out if your life means anything to you.
I smack my phone face-down on the desk, the panic rising faster than I can push it down, overwhelming me.
“Get it together,” I whisper. “Abe’s just messing with you, trying to break your resistance. Don’t let him win.”
Apparently, my competitive nature is stronger than any threat to my well-being, because the thought of allowing my idiot brother to one-up me with his stupid mind games sends rage burning through the anxiety, leaving it in ashes.
I drop my head to the table and laugh, both incredulous and relieved. “You’re such a mess.”
“Are you talking to yourself, Doll?” Jonah’s voice has me snapping my head up, and I narrow my eyes. He’s leaning on the doorframe, filling it almost completely, arms crossed over his chest and an amused eyebrow high on his forehead. “Because if you are, you should keep it positive. Thoughts create reality and such.”
“Why are you in my office unannounced?”
“Diva told me you’re here and free, but you didn’t answer my knocks.” He shrugs, stepping in and sitting across from me. “Why are you a mess?”
“I dropped my phone and cracked it,” I answer, showing him my screen.
“Jesus, Effie, where’d you drop it from? LeVeque?”
“It fell funny.” I throw myself back in my chair. “It’s just one of those days, Joe, ‘kay? Drop it.”
“You’re cute when you’re all riled up.” He winks, and I throw the Jar Jar bobblehead at him. “Hey, don’t bring your boyfriend into this. It’s between you and me.”
Laughter rolls out of me, and it replaces some of the anger with lightness. I hate that he so easily distracts me, almost as much as I hate how he instills a sense of safety amidst the chaos my life is tumbling into.
“I need to get back to work,” I tell Jonah, suddenly desperate for him to leave. “Did you need anything?”
“I wanted to ask you if you’d like an extra training session today.”
I take in the man in front of me, a man whose presence fills the room as completely as it fills my mind. My body hums to life with memories of our last training session, the salty muskiness of Jonah clinging to my clothes and skin as he pressed his body into mine. Every part of me feels the pull,wantsthe nearness, but I can’t handle another layer of tension today.
“Maybe tomorrow?” I ask. “I’m pretty swamped.”
“Tomorrow sounds good.” Jonah stands, placing Jar Jar back in his spot on my desk. “Catch you later, Doll.”
I wave him away, trying to hide my smile.Brat.
Shaking my head, I turn to my computer, ready to get back to work. Three minutes into a client contract, my phone rings again. I dare a glance at the screen and see…nothing. My screen is beyond broken. It’s just flashing in colorful lights.
With a sigh, I pick the phone up, realize I can’t see the green button either, then rummage through my bag until I find my headphones.
