Chapter 15
Nora's POV
Night was falling as we finally wrapped up the day's training.
Benjamin stretched beside me as we began gathering our things. "God, what a day. My brain feels like oatmeal."
"At least your brain is edible," Kathy quipped, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Mine feels like concrete."
I managed a tired smile, tucking my training binder under my arm as I prepared to leave.
Kathy's words made me stop in my tracks. "Hold up. Is that... no way."
I moved to the window and followed her gaze toward the visitor parking area. A deep gray Porsche sat under one of the lot lights, engine off, with Kyle leaning against the driver's door. Even from this distance, I could make out that it was him.
My stomach dropped like a stone.
"That guy's been hanging around here the past few days, like he's waiting for someone," Kathy said, her tone curious but not unkind. "He looks like someone dumped him hard."
Benjamin shifted uncomfortably beside me. "Nora?"
"It's nothing," I said quietly, forcing myself not to look. "Let's go."
But before we could take more than two steps, Sarah walked over.
Her gaze swept across the parking lot, locking onto Kyle's car with the precision of a heat-seeking missile. Then her eyes found mine, and a slow, calculated smile spread across her face.
"Nora, that's Kyle, isn't it?" Her tone was light and casual, but venom lurked underneath. "He's been camping out here for days now. Poor guy looks like he's been run over." She paused, letting the silence stretch. "You two wouldn't happen to be... fighting, would you?"
"That's none of your business," I said evenly.
"Oh, come on." Sarah's eyes glittered with something ugly. "We're old friends, Nora. You can tell me." She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice just enough that Kathy and Benjamin had to strain to hear. "Or did you finally figure out why he chased you so hard back in college?"
My pulse spiked. "What are you talking about?"
Sarah's smile widened again. "Nothing. Never mind. I must be misremembering." She straightened, adjusting her folder.
I stood there, frozen, Sarah's words echoing in my head. Did you finally figure out why he chased you so hard back in college?
Kathy touched my arm gently. "Nora? What was that about?"
I didn't answer. My mind was spinning, trying to piece together what Sarah had just implied. Kyle had pursued me relentlessly for two years—grand gestures, late-night confessions, promises that I was his fated mate. But Sarah's tone, the way she'd dangled that cryptic comment like bait... it suggested something I didn't know.
Benjamin cleared his throat. "Uh, Nora? Are you planning to see him?"
I snapped back to the present.
"No," I muttered, more to myself than to my companions. "I'm not ready to see him."
Kathy seemed to understand something from the fragments of conversation. She hooked her arm through mine, steering me toward the side exit. "Come on. There's a back way out of here."
Benjamin fell into step on my other side, and together the three of us moved quickly toward the rear of the building, away from Kyle, away from Sarah's poisonous insinuations, away from all of it. I hated that I felt like I was running. But I wasn't ready—not for Kyle's pleading, not for whatever truth Sarah had dangled in front of me like a loaded gun.
---
The temporary apartment DSW had arranged for me was small but functional—about 700 square feet, located in a quiet complex five miles from the regional office. One bedroom, a narrow kitchen, a bathroom with decent water pressure, and a living area just big enough for a couch and a desk. The furniture was standard government issue.
It wasn't luxurious, but at least I now had a space where I could be alone. After the chaos of the day, that was enough.
I dropped my bag by the door and kicked off my boots, feeling the tension in my shoulders start to unwind. The apartment smelled faintly of cleaning solution and nothing else, which was oddly comforting. No ghosts here. No memories. Just blank space.
I moved through the small rooms on autopilot—hanging my coat in the closet, setting my work binder on the desk, filling a glass with tap water and draining it in three long gulps. My phone sat heavy in my pocket, and I knew without checking that Kyle had probably sent messages. Maybe more missed calls.
I didn't check.
Instead, I sank onto the couch and stared at the bare wall across from me, Sarah's words replaying in my head like a broken record.
What the hell did that mean? Was it all a lie? Or was there something I'd missed, something everyone else knew except me?
I leaned my head back against the couch and closed my eyes, exhaustion creeping in at the edges.
Tonight I was too tired to care. I just wanted to sleep.
---
The next morning, I woke to pale sunlight filtering through the blinds and the distant hum of traffic. For a moment, I just lay there, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, letting the quiet settle over me like a blanket. Then I dragged myself out of bed, showered, dressed in clean clothes, and made instant coffee that tasted like regret.
By the time I arrived at the regional office, the place was already buzzing. Robert greeted me with his usual easy smile, handing me a fresh stack of case files to review. "Morning, Nora. Sleep okay?"
"Like the dead," I said with a smile.
He chuckled. "Good. We've got a packed schedule today—more case management training, then this afternoon, there's an important meeting that requires everyone's participation."
I raised an eyebrow. "A meeting?"
"Yeah, something about coordinating with the Federal Audit Office." He lowered his voice slightly. "They also need a liaison. DSW is supposed to provide support."
I nodded slowly, filing that away. It made sense—Julian's inspection wasn't just a PR stunt. He was building a case, and we were the ones with the files.
The morning passed in a blur of paperwork and procedural review. I threw myself completely into the work.
Just before lunch, the office door opened and Sarah walked in.
I kept my eyes on my computer screen, hoping she'd ignore me.
No such luck.
Sarah stopped at Robert's desk, and I heard them exchanging information about some upcoming meeting. Then, just as she was about to leave, she turned and walked straight toward me.
I braced myself.