Page 68 of The Happiness Blueprint
“Hello? Is there someone here?” The murderer must have seen my bag. I have no way out. Except...the murderer sounds an awful lot like—
Alex?
“Alex?”
I freeze.
He freezes.
“Klara?”
“That would be me,” I say. My cheeks are burning hot, and I want to hug him for not being a murderer.
“What are you doing here?” He has come all the way up to me and is looking at me with eyes that make me blush even more. I look out at the ocean.
“I could ask you the same thing.”
“Okay, but I asked first.”
“I’m working.”
“Working?” He looks at me. Our workday finished two hours ago.
“Well, not the looking-at-the-view part. That was me not working. Me taking a break. But before that. I’m here to give a quote. It’s our newest project.”
His eyes wander around the room as if he has no clue what to do and wants it to give him an idea.
“You never told me whyyouare here,” I probe.
“This is—well, was my brother’s place.”
“Your brother?”
“He passed away last year.” I didn’t even know he had a brother. “His husband must have hired you—us—Bygg-Nilsson.”
“Dan.”
“Yes.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” I say.
“Not really. Not now.”
“Okay.”
“I will leave you to it, then. Sorry for barging in and surprising you.”
“No, no. I’m the one who should be going. I’ve got what I came here for.”
I take a step to the right, but he’s in my way and doesn’t move.
“Klara, please stay. I said I wasn’t ready to talk about my brother—not that I didn’t want to talk. I do need to talk to you. I think we should have talked a long time ago.”
I hesitate. Me and Alex, alone. It’s definitely time to head off. To insert some physical distance between us.
“I should be going, though, shouldn’t I? We’ll have this job now to start on. I’ll brief you on it tomorrow.” He is standing still, waiting for me to leave. I take one small step toward the door, hoping my legs will do the work if I just set the motion rolling.
“Good night,” I say, taking another three long, odd steps past him, not turning around, for some reason afraid to meet his gaze. I notice him in the reflection of the glass doors when I turn my head ever so slightly to the side.Oh God.Think, Klara. I’m frozen. Behind me he takes a step closer, and I am standing completely still, as if playing a childhood game of Red Light, Green Light.
