“You poor thing. Go get some rest.” She kissed his cheek.
Madeline stayed for about an hour and we talked about things other than Andrew.
“It’s too bad your father isn’t alive right now. He would defend Andrew and get the case thrown out of court,” she spoke.
I swallowed the lump that was sitting in the back of my throat.
“I know he would have.” I gave a small smile.
“You look tired, sweetheart. Maybe I should go.”
“If you don’t mind. I was up the entire night.”
“Of course you were.” She walked over and hugged me. “Go get some rest and I’ll head home. Please don’t ignore my calls again. Understand, young lady?” Her brow arched.
“Yes, Mom. Thank you for coming over.”
The elevator doors shut, and I let out a deep breath. Walking into the bedroom, I found Andrew sound asleep on his back. My heart ached for what he was going through because of me. I climbed on the bed and snuggled up against him. He stirred and wrapped his arms around me, holding me as if he was never going to let me go. He always made me feel safe, and now it was my turn for him.
I rolled over and looked at the clock. We had been asleep for over three hours. When I rolled back over, Andrew was staring at me. I gave him a small smile as I traced his lips with my finger.
“Hi.”
“Hi.” He smiled back. “How long have we been asleep?”
“About three hours.”
“It doesn’t feel like it,” he spoke.
“How about a nice hot bath?” I asked. “I’ll put a little bit of lavender oil in it to help relax us.”
“Sure. Sounds nice.”
I climbed out of bed, went into the bathroom, and started the water. Andrew followed me in and placed his hands on the counter while he stared at himself in the mirror. I walked up behind him and began massaging his muscular shoulders.
“I think the bath is ready,” I spoke.
He turned around, placed his hands on my hips, and softly kissed my lips. After he climbed into the tub, I took my normal spot between his legs with my back firmly pressed against his chest. His arms wrapped around me and his chin rested on my head.
“I’m not comfortable with what Charlie suggested,” he spoke.
“I know you’re not, but it’s our only hope. I can get him to confess.”
“It’s too dangerous. He’s a murderer, Addison.”
“I’ll be fine, Andrew.”
“I don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost you,” he spoke.
“You don’t have to worry about that. You’re never going to lose me.”
I could hear my phone ringing from the bedroom, but I didn’t care. I was happy and content right where I was. After our bath, I slipped into my pajamas and grabbed my phone from the nightstand. A wave of nausea swept over me when I saw I had a missed call from Cody.
“What’s wrong?” Andrew asked.
I held up my phone to him.
“That motherfucker!”
“Shh.” I placed my finger up to his lips as I dialed Cody’s number.
“Hello,” he answered.
“Cody, it’s Addison. You called?”
“Addison, I heard about Andrew and I’m in shock. This can’t be true. How are you holding up?”
“Not good, Cody. Not good at all.”
“What are you doing right now? I can come by and we can talk.”
I wanted to run into the bathroom and vomit just hearing his voice.
“I can’t. I’m sorry. I’m packing all my things and moving back to my old apartment.”
“What? You’re moving out of Andrew’s place? Why?” he spoke with delight.
“You don’t expect me to stay with someone who was accused of murder, do you?”
“No. Not at all. I’m just surprised you’re not sticking by him.”
“How can I? All the evidence the police gathered proves that Andrew killed his ex-wife.”
Andrew took a seat on the edge of the bed and placed his face in his hands.
“I have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You’re coming back to work tomorrow?” Cody asked.
“Yes, I have to keep busy and find some normalcy again.”
“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow. Coffee is on me.”
“Thanks, Cody. I appreciate it.”
I ended the call and let out a deep breath.
“We’re going to nail that son of a bitch,” I spoke to Andrew as I took off my engagement ring and handed it to him.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The next morning, before I left for the office, Charlie stopped by the apartment.
“Just go with the flow, Addison,” he spoke.
“Rick will be outside your office the whole time,” Andrew said. “But I want you both to know that I hate all of this!”
“We know you do.” I walked over to him and kissed his lips. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about a thing.”
“I love you, Angel,” he spoke.
“I love you too.”
“Bye, Dad. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Bye, Rosebud. Remember, just go with the flow.”
I hailed a cab to the office and the whole ride there, my stomach was in knots. As I walked down the hallway, people stared at me and I could hear the whispers about Andrew from behind. Once I reached my office, Lucas came running in and gave me a hug.
“Oh my God, Addy. I’m so happy to see you. I can’t believe this is happening. Have you talked to Andrew? What’s going to happen to the company now? I heard he put Veronica in charge while he’s taking some time off.”
“I really don’t know, Lucas. I broke up with him. In fact, I’m moving back to my old apartment after work.”
“Aw, sweetheart.” He hugged me. “Everyone here is in shock. We never thought Andrew to be a murderer.”
A sickness came over me hearing him say those words. I needed to get Cody to confess fast because not only was Andrew’s reputation on the line, but so was his company, and I wasn’t about to let the business that his father built from the ground up be compromised by a pathetic psychopathic love-obsessed moron.
“I didn’t either. I wanted to believe he didn’t do it, but the evidence is all there.”
“Have you told Jasper and Emma?”
“I called them last night and told them.”
“Okay. I need to get to work.” He kissed my forehead. “If you need anything, you know where to find me.”
I took a seat at my desk and let out a deep breath.
“Good morning, Addison,” Cody spoke as he lightly tapped on my office door.
My heart started racing with fear at the sight of him. But I was strong, and I could do this.
“Hey, Cody.” I gave him a small smile.
“How are you?” He stepped inside with one hand behind his back.
“Not good.”
“Here.” He smiled as he handed me a bouquet of white and red roses. “Hopefully, these will brighten your day.”
“Aw, Cody. They’re beautiful. You shouldn’t have.”
“I wanted to. I know how hard this must be for you.”
I got up from my desk, walked over to him, and gave him a light hug. It took everything I had not to throw up all over him.
“Thank you. That was really sweet.”
“You’re a good friend to me, Addison. I’m just returning the favor.” He lightly smiled and tightened his arms around me. “You did the right thing breaking up with Andrew.”
I broke our embrace and swallowed hard.
“I know I did. It hurts. You know? I thought I knew him.”
“Does anybody ever really know a person?” he asked. “I mean, everyone has skeletons in their closet.”
“I suppose so.”
“Let me take you out to dinner tonight,” he spoke.
“I don’t know, Cody. I’m not really in the mood for going out.”
“Come on, Addison. We
’ll have a few drinks, a nice dinner, and we’ll talk. It’ll take your mind off him.”
“Maybe you’re right.” I smiled. “Dinner sounds nice.”
“Excellent!” he spoke with excitement. “I’ll pick you up around seven o’clock.”
“I can just meet you at the restaurant.”
“No.” The tone of his voice became stern. “I would like to pick you up.”
“Fine. I’ll text you my address.”
The corners of his mouth curved up into a smile.
“Good. I’ll talk to you later.”
I left work early to go home and spend some time with Andrew before I packed my bag and headed back to my old apartment.
“Do you have any idea how much I hate this?” he spoke as I put my suitcase on the bed.
“Yes, Andrew. I do. Because I hate it too. But we have no choice. It’ll all be over with very soon.”
“I talked to Luca and Ariana today. I told them that an acquaintance of mine did some digging around on Cody and I gave them the information Charlie gave us.”
“What did they say?”
“Ariana was going to look at it and do some more digging around. She said she’d call me later. Charlie is on his way over now to give you something.”
“What’s he giving me?”
“I don’t know. He said he’d talk to us about it when he got here.”
Andrew received a text message from Charlie stating that he was on his way up. As soon as the doors opened, Charlie stepped out and sighed.
“Hey, Rosebud.” He kissed my cheek.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black device and handed it to me.
“What’s this?” I asked as I studied it.
“It’s a recording and tracking device. Andrew and I will be able to hear everything you and Cody say, plus we’ll be able to track your whereabouts.”
“Where do I put it? My purse?”
“It’s best if you wear it. So find a hidden spot you can keep it. Maybe wear a pair of pants with pockets.”
“How about if I tuck into my bra?”
“Or that. Just make sure you turn it on by lightly tapping this button.”
“I will.” I kissed his cheek. “I need to get to my old apartment and get ready before he picks me up.”
I looked over at Andrew, who had a burning anger in his eyes.
“Don’t.” I held up my finger. “This is your life we’re talking about.”
“It doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his neck.
“I love you and I’ll always love you. Don’t worry. I can take care of myself.” I kissed his lips. “I have something for you.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out a seashell that I collected when we were in the Hamptons. I had been saving it for the right moment, and I felt this was it.
A smile crossed his lips.
“Friends do anything for each other,” I spoke. “You’re not only my lover and my fiancée, you’re my best friend.” I smiled.
He cupped my face in his hands, softly kissed my lips, and then pulled me into a tight embrace.
“You’re my best friend and everything to me. You’re the air I breathe every second of every day. Please be careful, Angel. I love you so much.”
“I love you too, and I will be careful. This will all be over soon.”
I gave him one last kiss, grabbed my bag, and stepped into the elevator.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
I needed to sit down with Jasper and Emma and tell them the truth. Well, not the whole truth, but parts of it. I couldn’t have them believing that I thought Andrew was a murderer.
“Thank God you’re back.” Emma smiled as I walked through the door.
“Welcome home, sister!” Jasper threw his arms around me.
“Thanks. I need to talk to both of you,” I spoke as I took my bag to my room.
“About what?” Emma asked as her and Jasper followed behind me.
I let out a long sigh as I stared at them.
“You’re going to want to sit down for this. I have to get ready for a date.”
“A date?!” Jasper exclaimed. “You just broke up with Andrew less than twenty-four hours ago.”
“Addy, what’s going on?” Emma narrowed her eye at me.
I dug through my bag and pulled out my black sleeveless dress and hung it on a hanger.
“What I’m about to tell you stays in this room. Do you understand?” I arched my brow at them.
“Yeah, sure,” Jasper spoke with a confused look on his face.
“You’re scaring me, Addison. What the hell is going on?” Emma asked.
“Andrew didn’t kill Ellie. We’re almost positive that it was Cody.”
“Cody? As in the Cody that you work with?” Jasper asked.
“Yes.”
“But Andrew’s paperweight from his office was used to kill her and his fingerprints are all over it,” Emma spoke.
“It doesn’t matter. Cody could have taken it from his office and wore gloves. Anyway, Cody has a history of violence.”
“How do you know this?” Jasper asked.
“A friend of Andrew’s did some investigating. Anyway, we believe that Cody was behind everything that was going on. The break-in here, the flowers, the notes, the phone calls. The man is obsessed with me for some reason.”
“Well, I can understand why.” Jasper smiled.
Emma reached over and hit his arm.
“I’m going on a date with him and I’m going to get close to him. Hopefully, he’ll confess what he did.”
“That’s dangerous. Especially if you’re saying he has a history of violence,” Emma spoke.
“Yeah, Addy. Can’t you let the police handle it?” Jasper asked.
“The police don’t care. All they care about is the murder weapon that belongs to Andrew and has his fingerprints all over it. Not to mention the fact that Andrew had a lapse in time from when he left the club and came home that night.”
“Where was he?” Emma asked.
“He was waiting for a friend of his in Central Park,” I spoke as I walked into the bathroom.
“And who is this friend of his?” Jasper asked. “Sounds fishy to me.”
“A friend he’s known for a very long time.”
“I’m sorry, Addison,” Emma spoke as she walked up behind me and placed her hand on my shoulder. “But Andrew has lied to you from the very start of your relationship. How can you trust what he says? I mean, come on, he was in Central Park meeting a friend? No witnesses, nothing? On the same night his ex-wife turns up dead?”
I knew they possibly couldn’t understand because I couldn’t tell them that the friend he was waiting for was my dead father who wasn’t really dead.
“Yes. I believe him and that’s all that matters. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get ready.”
Emma sighed.
“I don’t like this at all. How do you know you’re going to be safe if he’s the one who killed Ellie?”
“I’m wearing a recording device and Andrew and his friend will be listening the whole time. I’ll be fine.”
Jasper walked over and wrapped his arms around my waist.
“Please be careful. To be honest, I can’t believe Andrew is letting you do this.”
“He hates it, and he tried to stop me. But this is his life that’s being ruined by something he didn’t do and I’m going to prove his innocence.”
****
It was seven o’clock when there was a knock on the door. When I answered it, Cody stood there dressed in a pair of khakis and a black sweater, holding a bouquet of red roses.
“Hi.” I smiled.
“Hello, Addison. Wow. You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
“These are for you.” He handed me the roses.
“Cody, you shouldn’t have. They’re gorgeous. The flower shop must love you.” I grinned.
“Why do you sa
y that?” he asked as he stepped inside.
“It seems like you’re always buying flowers.”
“Well, I do believe that beautiful women deserve beautiful flowers so they know how much they’re appreciated.”
“Cody, this is my best friend, Emma. Emma, this is Cody from work.”
“Nice to meet you.” She extended her hand.
“Nice to meet you, Emma.”
Jasper came walking into the room with a plate of homemade chocolate chip pecan cookies.
“Cody, you remember Jasper, right?”
“Of course. Hello.”
“Hey. I just made a fresh batch of cookies. Would you like one?” he asked him.
“Do they have nuts in them? I’m highly allergic.”
“Actually, they have pecans in them,” Jasper replied. “Sorry, man.”
“Please don’t apologize.” Cody held up his hand. “Are you ready, Addison?”
“Yes, just let me grab my purse.”
I walked into my bedroom, grabbed my phone, and sent a group message to Andrew and Charlie.
“We’re leaving now, so I’m turning on the recorder. Text me if you can hear me?”
“We can hear you, Rosebud. Be careful,” Charlie replied.
“Addison, do what you have to and end the fucking night,” Andrew replied.
I rolled my eyes, stuck my phone in my black clutch, and headed out into the living room.
“I’m ready.” I smiled.
He told Rick to drive us to Tavern on the Green. We had a nice dinner, a couple glasses of wine, and we talked. He wasn’t acting funny or saying anything inappropriate and I was getting worried that he wouldn’t slip up. We talked about his nut allergy and how he kept an epi pen on him at all times. After dinner, he walked me up to the door of my building.
“I had a really nice time, Addison.” He smiled.
“Me too. Thank you for taking my mind off everything that’s going on.”
“It’s my pleasure.” He leaned in and brushed his lips against mine.
I wanted to throw up as my heart started racing.
“You’re a very special woman and I would love to see you again.” He placed his hand on my cheek.
“Thank you. I think you’re special too. I’d love to go out again.”
“How about dinner at my place tomorrow night?” he asked.