Chapter Twenty-Three: Five Years Ago

Hadley

I've been working for almost two hours and I'm not sure you can tell. The amount of paper this man has is insane. By the time I'm done, we'll be filling the city landfill, I'm almost positive of it. Turning my phone over, I don't see a text from him, not after the question I asked.

It bothers me he hasn't answered. I thought we were close enough to share at least that much with one another. Finally, I see a flash of brown. Could it be? Am I almost to the wood grain of the desk? I want to get up and dance a little jig, but I'm also trying to be halfway professional.

A bike cutting through the back alley grabs my attention. I think it's Trick, but I'm not completely sure. I figure if I spend enough time here, enough time with him, I'll know for sure. There's something intimate about being able to distinguish the sound of his bike from the sound of others. Like a teenage girl, I hope we get to that point in our relationship. When the backdoor opens and I hear his boots hit