“Your first date was in an empty building,” I reminded him. “And I don’t think Audrey is going to feel comfortable being in an empty building with you right now.”

“Jeez,” he moaned, rubbing a hand over his face. “I can’t believe how badly I’ve ruined everything.”

His obvious anguish was uncomfortably reminiscent of how I had felt after the Hirshhorn event, when I realized I’d squandered a chance with Connor and made everything between us worse instead of better. I reached out and patted him tentatively on the shoulder. “It’ll be okay.”

He caught my hand and held it tightly, compressing the bones. “Please, Cat. You have to help me. I love Audrey so much.”

“I’ll think about it,” I promised, carefully extracting myself from his grip. “But it will have to wait. I leave for trial tomorrow, and I’ll be out of town for the rest of the week, maybe longer.”

“Okay,” he said, his disappointment clear. “I guess that will work. It’ll have to. Unless … Is Audrey going to be at your apartment while you’re away?”

I hesitated. “Um … I think so.”

“Maybe you could give me a set of your keys? I could surprise her with flowers.”

“I don’t know,” I hedged. “Audrey hasn’t had the greatest experience with flowers lately.”

“Something else, then. Air plants. Champagne. Animal crackers.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think surprising her with anything is a great idea. Not right now, at least. After everything that happened with her apartment and discovering she has a stalker, she’s been really on edge. She needs someplace she can feel safe.”

Max’s expression darkened. “And you’re the only one who can make her feel safe? With the way you’re trying to keep her to yourself, it almost makes me wonder if you’re the one who’s been stalking her.”

My mouth dropped open in surprise. “Max, that’s ludicrous.”

“Is it? I’ve seen the way you look at Audrey.”

“I don’t know what you’re insinuating, but—”

“You look at her like you want to be her. Like you want to take her skin and wear it as a suit.”

“Audrey is my best friend,” I said, aghast. “I certainly don’t want to skin her.”

“Are you Audrey’s best friend, though?”

I sucked in my breath. Max had hit me right where it hurt, the tender spot I didn’t think anyone else knew about. Ever since she’d taken my hand on Bid Day, Audrey had been my best friend, my only friend. I’d always known our friendship didn’t mean as much to Audrey as it did to me, and I had accepted that. Just getting to have a piece of Audrey was enough for me. And then she had moved to DC, and I had glimpsed behind the glimmering curtain, seen what it was to have Audrey’s sparkling attention focused solely on me. But just when I was starting to fully appreciate it, Max had swooped in and snatched her away from me.

“If you were, she would have accepted your repeated offers to move in,” he added.