Chapter 8

Jason

S omething has changed between us.

I can't quite put my finger on it yet, but Audrey sent an email to the building manager asking about the intercom system for The Emerald. It's supposed to be working, or so I was told. The technician we sent down yesterday confirmed it.

Audrey wouldn't go into any detail regarding the subject but our phone and text conversations have gotten briefer over the past couple of days. She's become distant.

I'm starting to think something happened to upset her, but when I ask, all she says is that I don't need to worry about it and that everything's fine. She said she's seen suspicious people lurking around, and she's concerned about the elderly residents' safety since there's been a string of home invasions happening on this side of Chicago over the winter.

I'm tempted to bring in a different security team altogether, but I need to confirm that her concerns are valid, as she's the only one who's brought it up out of a couple of hundred residents.

"Daddy, what are we doing here?" Lily asks.

I've just picked up my daughter from kindergarten and decided to stop by The Emerald to check up on things. I don't like this gap that's growing between Audrey and me. It's been bugging me more and more. I know we haven't exactly put a label on it, but I've come to miss her when she's not around.

"Oh, we're just visiting one of my buildings, honey, and we might even run into a friend," I tell my daughter as I scoop her out of the booster seat and carry her across the street.

"Your girlfriend?"

I stop on the edge of the sidewalk to look at Lily. For a five-year-old, she can be annoyingly observant sometimes. She also has a knack for dropping conversational bombs when I least expect it.

"What makes you think I have a girlfriend?" I ask her.

"I can tell."

Her eyes are wide and fierce with knowledge. It's as if there's a whole other world inside my daughter, and she doesn't have the mental capacity at her age to accurately explain what goes through her head. I've always felt she's way smarter than most five-year-olds, but there are moments when Lily leaves me speechless. All I can do is smile softly and put her down so we can both go up the front steps.

"She could be my girlfriend if you like her," I say.

"I think I already like her."

"How so?"

Lily thinks about it for a moment, then straightens her yellow winter jacket and looks up at the building. "She lives in a nice place. And she makes you smile a lot."

I grow more and more intrigued. "What makes you think that I smile a lot because of her?" If only I could tap right into her cute little brain, perhaps I'd understand my daughter better.

"That's what Rita says," Lily replies. "It's why you're on the phone a lot. You didn't do that before."

It hits me all of a sudden how observant Lily can be, even when I'm not aware of any changes in my pattern. But she noticed, and she asked her nanny about it. She didn't ask me. Should I feel bad about that? Why didn't she feel she could talk to me about this?

"We talk a lot," I tell Lily. "I think you'll like her. She teaches kindergarten."

Lily gasps and gives me a troubled look as we go into the building. "Wait, is it Miss Pemberly?"

"Miss Pemberly?" I reply, momentarily confused, until I remember Miss Pemberly is Lily's kindergarten teacher. "Oh, no, honey, no. Audrey works at another school."

"What's wrong with Miss Pemberly?" Lily asks, frowning slightly.

My Lord, she cracks me up. "Nothing is wrong with Miss Pemberly. Besides, I'm pretty sure she's spoken for. I thought I saw a ring on her finger."

"Yeah, but you're way better," Lily decides. "Her boyfriend brings her lunch every day, but you could buy her the restaurant!"

I can't help but laugh.

My humor softens as I look up and see Audrey coming down the stairs. I'm about to smile and wave and introduce my daughter when I notice that Audrey appears to be in a terrible mood. She doesn't even see me until she reaches the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh, Jason!" she gasps, freezing for a moment.

"Hi, Audrey," I say, measuring her reaction carefully. "Is everything all right?"

She stares at me, then at Lily, and as soon as their eyes meet, Audrey's demeanor brightens up. "You must be Lily. It is such a pleasure to meet you," she says. "I'm Audrey."

"Hi, Audrey," my daughter replies and firmly shakes her hand, measuring Audrey from head to toe like a human scanner. "You're my dad's girlfriend, right?"

"Wow," Audrey laughs nervously, then looks at me. "Um, what?"

"We were just in the neighborhood," I say. "I wanted to show Lily around. Granted, I also hoped we'd run into you so you two could meet. I figured it was about time."

Why is my heart beating so fast? Lily's opinion about Audrey matters, but I find that Audrey's opinion of what's going on between us matters just as much. I want her to want more out of this because I want more out of this.

It's been a while since I've felt this way about someone. It's scary as hell. I'd rather re-cross an Afghani minefield than endure the awkwardness of this moment.

"That's sweet," Audrey says, giving Lily another smile. "What do you think of The Emerald?"

"I like it. It's pretty," my daughter replies. "You're pretty, too."

"Oh, thank you," Audrey says and laughs lightly.

But I can see the shadows in her cool blue eyes. The concern. The unspoken worries that swirl through her mind. She's working overtime to make herself seem calm and breezy, ever the friendly neighborhood girl. Something is definitely going on with her, and I intend to get to the bottom of it one way or another.

"Audrey, what's happening?" I ask, my voice low.

"What do you mean?" she asks, trying to play her part for a little longer.

"Talk to me. I'm here," I say. "Whatever it is that's bothering you, you can tell me."

She shakes her head slowly. "I'm okay, I promise. Just tired. I need to head out, but I'll see you another time."

"Hold on," I stop her from walking past us and whisper in her ear while Lily curiously looks up at us. "I think we both know by now that what we have is more than a mere fling. You can talk to me; you can tell me anything. I think I've proven myself worthy of your trust by now."

"Jason, I'm fine," she manages, but tears are rushing to her eyes. "I'm just going through a stressful period, that's all. You don't need to worry about a thing."

"Fine," I sigh and take a step back. "You know where to reach me if you need to talk. Please, remember that."

"Thank you," Audrey replies. "And I hope to see you again, Miss Lily! Bye!"

Lily waves her goodbye while I stand at the bottom of the stairs, watching as Audrey hurriedly walks away, a trail of doubt and darkness lingering in her wake. I don't believe a word she just said, and that's because Audrey is a good woman and, therefore, a terrible liar.

I know when she's not being truthful because it's simply not in her nature, but the fact that she feels the need to try and deceive me speaks volumes.

"Daddy?" Lily asks, her warm hand still squeezing mine.

"Yes, honey?"

"She's not okay like she said ."

Again, I'm compelled to glance down at my daughter in genuine surprise. "How on earth do you pick up on these things?" I wonder aloud.

"I don't know," Lily shrugs nonchalantly. "She just looked not okay."

"I thought so, too," I agree.

"So, can you fix it?" she asks earnestly.

"Fix it?"

"Yeah, like you fix me when I'm not okay."

"You know what, sweet girl? I'm going to do everything I can."

Everything.