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Contents (64)
  1. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  2. PROLOGUE HIM
  3. CHAPTER ONE AUDREY
  4. CHAPTER TWO CAT
  5. CHAPTER THREE AUDREY
  6. CHAPTER FOUR CAT
  7. CHAPTER FIVE AUDREY
  8. CHAPTER SIX CAT
  9. CHAPTER SEVEN HIM
  10. CHAPTER EIGHT AUDREY
  11. CHAPTER NINE AUDREY
  12. CHAPTER TEN HIM
  13. CHAPTER ELEVEN CAT
  14. CHAPTER TWELVE AUDREY
  15. CHAPTER THIRTEEN HIM
  16. CHAPTER FOURTEEN AUDREY
  17. CHAPTER FIFTEEN HIM
  18. CHAPTER SIXTEEN CAT
  19. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN AUDREY
  20. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN CAT
  21. CHAPTER NINETEEN HIM
  22. CHAPTER TWENTY AUDREY
  23. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE CAT
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO AUDREY
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE AUDREY
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR HIM
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE CAT
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX AUDREY
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN HIM
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT CAT
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE HIM
  32. CHAPTER THIRTY AUDREY
  33. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE CAT
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO AUDREY
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE AUDREY
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR AUDREY
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE CAT
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX AUDREY
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN AUDREY
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT HIM
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE CAT
  42. CHAPTER FORTY AUDREY
  43. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE HIM
  44. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO AUDREY
  45. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE AUDREY
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR CAT
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE HIM
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX AUDREY
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN AUDREY
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT HIM
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE AUDREY
  52. CHAPTER FIFTY CAT
  53. CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE AUDREY
  54. CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO CAT
  55. CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE AUDREY
  56. CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR HIM
  57. CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE CAT
  58. CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX AUDREY
  59. CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN MAX
  60. CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT CAT
  61. CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE AUDREY
  62. CHAPTER SIXTY MAX
  63. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  64. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CHAPTER FIFTY CAT

As I carried the pale pink nail polish to Monet’s station, my phone buzzed for the fifth time. I glanced down to see Audrey’s name on my caller ID once more.

Maybe I should answer, I thought. Something must be wrong for her to call this many times in a row.

But just as quickly, I reminded myself of all the times in college that Audrey had acted like the sky was falling when she and Nick had had a quarrel. She’d probably had some minor spat with Max. If I came running every time Audrey called, I would never get anything done. And, with the Phillips trial fast approaching, I had a lot that needed to get done.

I sank into the chair opposite Monet and turned on its vibrating massage feature. I wasn’t going to let Audrey and whatever was going on with Max ruin my weekly ritual, my one chance to unwind.

“This color again?” Monet said, clucking her tongue. “What is it this time? A client?”

“I’m going to New York for a trial next week,” I said with no small amount of pride. “I’m actually going to be making an argument in court.”

“Well, look at you!” she exclaimed, holding up her hand for a high five. I laughed and slapped her palm. This was more of a reaction than I’d gotten from Audrey when I’d relayed that same news to her. I’d had to do it over text message, since she couldn’t be bothered to disentangle herself from Max for more than two seconds, and she’d responded by “liking” my message. She hadn’t even taken the time to type “Congratulations.” I’d stared at the phone, waiting for something else, some sort of personal message, but none was forthcoming.

As Monet began to remove last week’s polish, my phone went off again. I apologized and reached to silence it, noticing the text on its screen as I did so: CAT PLEASE ANSWER OMW TO YOUR PLACE HELP I NEED YOU.

I hesitated. What if Audrey really did need me? What if she’d learned something more about the person who had been in her apartment? Or if she’d had some sort of other encounter? Doubt gnawed at my stomach, and I realized that my nail appointment was already ruined.

I sighed and pulled out my wallet. “I’m sorry to do this, but I’m going to have to reschedule.”

Monet’s eyebrows jumped in surprise. I didn’t blame her; it was the first time in four years that I had canceled on her like this. “Is something wrong?”

“I’m sure everything’s fine. One of my friends just needs to be talked down from a ledge.”

AUDREY WAS WAITING on the steps outside my building when I arrived home, and she looked terrible. Her face, devoid of makeup other than smudgy, leftover eyeliner, looked almost gray, and her eyes were glassy and wide. I immediately felt guilty for not answering her earlier calls.

“Are you okay?”