Ending

Chapter 49 - Strange Questions and Strange Comforts

I gripped the edge of the car window, my knuckles white as Ben rolled it up. He was trying to force me to let go, but I wasn't about to give in so easily.

"Are you sure it's safe for me to be here?"

Ben sighed, his expression exasperated. His usual patience seemed worn thin, likely by my clinginess this morning. "I promise, Jane. It's safe. Probably the safest place you could be right now."

He moved to push my fingers away from the door, "You're going to be late for work, miss. Go."

Ben pried my fingers off the doorframe, and I barely had time to resist before he backed out of the driveway with surprising speed, a loud squeaking sound heard from his tires dramatically.

"Old man," I muttered under my breath, puffing in annoyance as I turned to face the imposing building.

The memory of the gunshot played over in my mind like a broken record, making my chest tighten.

Despite the anxiety clawing at me, I decided the ominous hallways inside were better than staying outside, exposed.

The lobby was quiet when I entered, the double doors shutting behind me with a soft thud. My steps slowed as I neared the reception area, where Amanda sat perched like a hawk behind the counter.

"Good morning," I greeted softly as I walked past her desk, trying not to sound as nervous as I felt.

Her gaze snapped to me, sharp and assessing. "Where are you going?"

I looked over to the woman as she looked me up and down. "I'm sorry, James told me to go straight to his office when I got here."

Her mouth opened as she laughed quite loud at me, "It's Mr. Thomas to you. Everyone gets checked in, you're not special, so come right here and I will let you know when you can go after I call Mr. Thomas." Her fake eyelashes waved at me wildly as she spoke.

The anxiety I felt just seconds before turned to anger at the woman in front of me. I did my best to hold it in as I trudged over to the counter and watched as Amanda picked up the phone and dialed.

Her smile, looking more like a mocking grimace, only got bigger when the call was picked up.

"Hello, Mr.Thomas." Her voice was dripping with honey. Soothing sweet as she spoke.

"I have your assistant here" Her expression wavered a bit. "Sir?" She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it.

We didn't have to sit in confusion long as James came striding down the hallway behind her.

"I thought you said you remembered where my office is?"

I sighed looking at the man in front of me, already tired of today. "I remembered." I said plainly.

He didn't reply to my answer, only waiting for me to continue. At this point, Amanda had realized I was telling the truth as her face seemed much damper than it had moments ago.

I waved to the receptionist, "She said I couldn't go without permission."

James's gaze flicked to Amanda, and I could feel the temperature in the room drop. "I already gave her permission."

I waited, looking between the both of them trying not to enjoy this as much as I was.

Amanda fidgeted in her chair, "I'm sorry sir. We just normally check everyone in. I just wish you would have told me."

James smiled. Chills went down my spine at the sight. It certainly wasn't a nice smile.

He leaned forward and lightly reached a piece of paper next to her, holding it in front of her face.

"And I wish you would read the instructions I give you for the week. I don't make them for fun, you might find useful information in them."

She mumbled an apology, her eyes cast downward. James didn't wait for a response, turning on his heel and gesturing for me to follow him.

"Come on, let's not waste any more time," he said, his voice brisk but not unkind.

"I'm coming, James." I put emphasis on his name, staring at Amanda as I followed him out. Her head was still bowed but rose to meet my eyeline and glare, right before I left the room.

The trip there was silent as I followed behind. As we reached his office, he pushed the door open, moved and ushered me inside first.

I didn't need much instruction past this point. I moved to one of the comfortable seats that spins and sat down, doing my best not to twirl. Instead, my hands gripped the edge of the seat hard as I tried not to fidget at all.

In all honesty, I'd been hoping James didn't know about the gunshot. But as time dragged on and he still hadn't spoken, my suspicions grew.

Then, instead of walking around his desk like he normally would, he came to stand in front of me, leaning against the edge of the furniture. A deliberate choice.

I met his gaze, waiting for him to speak first.

"Jane." Just my name. Nothing else. He seemed to be weighing his words, choosing them carefully.

Silence stretched between us, thick and unyielding. I could feel the tension crawling up my spine, pressing against my ribs. Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore.

"James."

His gaze snapped to mine, and despite the tension, a quiet laugh bubbled out of me.

His head tilted slightly, a faint smile teasing the corner of his mouth. "What's funny?"

"You," I admitted, shaking my head. "You're being so serious. Just say whatever it is you need to say."

I tried to play it off, but the truth was, his hesitation was suffocating. My mind raced through excuses, ready to deflect, to sidestep, to smooth over whatever was coming next.

I gripped the seat tighter.

"Are you okay?"

That—I hadn't expected.

"What?"

"Yesterday, Ben called me." His voice was even, but I felt the shift in the air. "He said someone shot through your bedroom window. That you were nearly hit."

The weight of it settled between us. My throat tightened.

"He did?" I kept my tone neutral, but inside, alarms rang.

I looked down at my lap, very unsure how to proceed. The last thing I wanted was to say something I shouldn't or worse, get Ben in trouble.

"You're good at dodging questions." James tilted his head slightly. "But I'll ask again. Are you okay?"

I hesitated. His expression, usually so unreadable, was softer than I expected. Concerned. Genuine.

I exhaled slowly. "I'm fine. It was just... unexpected." I glanced at him. "Not exactly something I'm used to."

He nodded but his eyes fell past to me to stare distantly as he mulled over my words,"Ben also mentioned that you were a bit apprehensive to come to work-"

My stomach turned. I hated that Ben had told him that.

James crossed his arms, watching me. "I wouldn't expect you to work after something like that." A pause, his voice dipping just slightly. "But you don't have anything to be afraid of. I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

The words landed deeper than they should have. A promise too steady, too certain.

I inhaled subtly, trying to even out the tension throughout my body as the warmth took over winning over again logic I might have had in this moment, not that I had any choice but to give in to him at this point, to trust him to keep me from harm, when he himself could be trying to harm me.

I forced a breath, steadying myself. "I know." The words left before I could second-guess them. "And I don't mind working. It's probably better than staying at home."

James held my gaze a second longer, as if searching for something in it. Then, with a slight nod, he shifted, reaching for a stack of papers behind him.

"Now for the fun part."