The lie comes easily, my focus intent on the hallway as I start walking that way.

“Sounds like fun,” he says jovially. “Well, you just try to plan a trip home and bring that man of yours with you. I can’t wait to play overprotective dad.”

My father laughs heartily and I give a half chuckle, the office door looming closer. “All right, Dad. I gotta go, but I love you.”

“Love you too, sweetie,” he says. “Talk to you later.”

“Bye,” I say vaguely, and disconnect as I come to the door. I pocket my phone and hold the keys out in front of me, considering which one may fit the lock. Doesn’t matter if I get it wrong. Got plenty of time to try again.

I choose a key and slip it into the keyhole. With my other hand bracing the knob, I turn my wrist and feel the lock give smoothly.

My heart rate jacks up, and a rush of adrenaline goes through me. I start to twist the knob, but then a feeling of foreboding rips through me. I hesitate a moment…consider my options.

This isn’t optimal.

I turn the key back the opposite way, reengage the lock, and pull it free. My heart is still pounding but I feel immense relief in my decision to back away, knowing this was the right call.

I have no clue when Beck will be back. It could take me hours to search his office and I don’t want to be interrupted. It has to be done on a day when he’s at work and I have little to no chance of being caught.

I glance down at my watch. Beck’s been gone less than ten minutes, and I’m better served by trying to rush out quickly and get a copy made; that way I can search at a more opportune time.

I tell myself firmly my hesitation has nothing to do with my distaste in betraying the man I’ve come to care a great deal about.

No matter what my feelings are for Beck, I simply have to do this, I reassure myself. This is for my own good, and if I have to sacrifice his trust in this small way, I’m going to have to just fucking live with it.

Besides, I reason to myself, if I can cut this albatross known as Jonathon Townsend from around my neck, I can then truly be free to be everything to Beck that he deserves. I further reason to myself that this has to be done for Beck’s own good. That it’s the only way I can give myself to him freely and without any walls or lies staining our relationship. Even better reasoning, if I can end JT’s existence, I will be freeing Beck from a toxic relationship with his business partner.

I pocket the keys and walk quickly into the bedroom. I put on a light jacket and grab my purse. I know there’s a local hardware store about four blocks away, in the opposite direction of the Ferry Building. With any luck I can be there and back within half an hour…no more than forty-five minutes, with a copy of the office key safely in hand.

Yeah…that’s my best play at this moment.

—
The elevator comes to a halt, and I pat the copy of the key in my pocket and flip Beck’s key chain jauntily in my hand. I feel good about this. I have a plan starting to come together.

The elevator doors open and I step into the hallway, Beck’s condo directly ahead. I raise my head and come to a dead halt. Beck stands there with his arms crossed over his chest. Caroline’s got Ally in her arms and her face is red and shiny with tears.

“What’s going on?” I ask cautiously as I walk toward them.

“Ally got in a snit and pitched a toddler tantrum,” Caroline says with a sheepish grin. “After a two-minute shrieking session in the bookstore, we decided to head back. Figured we could just hang here today.”

My eyes cut over to Beck and he’s eyeballing the key chain in my hand. “We couldn’t get in.”

“Oh,” I say softly as I look down at the keys. “Sorry.”

“Where were you?” Beck asks, and I can tell by the tone of his voice he can’t fathom where I would have been with his keys. This makes me panic and my mind races to find the perfect excuse, but nothing comes to mind.

“Um,” I hedge for a split second too long, because it sounds like I’m searching for a lie, so I just blurt out, “I borrowed your car. I decided to go to my apartment and pick up a few things.”

It’s completely obvious when Beck’s jaw tightens, and I know he doesn’t believe me. “Didn’t make it very far, did you?”

My feet move and I walk quickly to the door, avoiding eye contact with him. I put the key in the lock and open the door. Caroline slips through, keeping her own head down. I know she can feel the tension between us.

I start to follow her in but Beck grabs my arm and turns me to him. He looks at me in question, expecting a response. I swallow hard and lift my chin in a display of a confidence I’m not feeling at all. “I made it as far as the First Street on-ramp and the traffic was horrible. Decided to come back and see if maybe you wanted to go with me later.”

His eyes bore into mine, actually flicking back and forth as if he’s trying to see truth in what I’m saying. He stares at me so long I almost blurt out the entire truth to him.

Everything.

About JT and my nefarious plans.

But then Beck just gives me a curt nod, drops his hand from my arm, and walks into the condo. I take a deep breath and follow him in.

Caroline is setting Ally up on the couch and has the TV remote in hand, presumably to get her favorite Dora the Explorer to watch. She shoots me a sympathetic smile and then her head turns to follow Beck as he walks back into the bedroom. I smile back at her and hurry down the hall after her brother, feeling impending doom rushing in on me.

When I enter the bedroom, I find him at the window looking out over the city, his back stiff and arms crossed over his chest. I close the door softly.

He turns to me and asks, “Are you lying to me?”

I force myself not to wince at the condemnation in his voice and his acute perception. “No, of course not.”

God, yes, I’m lying, Beck, and I’m so very sorry. I hope you will forgive me this transgression. I swear I have good reason.

“You’re lying,” he says adamantly. His arms fall away from his chest and in strides up to me, taking his key chain from my hand.

“I’m not,” I say quickly.

“Sela,” he barks at me, and I snap my mouth shut. “When you didn’t answer the door, I thought I might have an extra house key in my car. I went down to the garage to look because I have a remote concierge unlocking service through Audi. My car was there. No extra key in there, but my car was fucking there. And I know we’re still trying to get to know each other, and you probably haven’t figured this out yet, but I have no patience whatsoever to suffer liars in my life. I refuse to do it. So where in the fuck were you and why in the fuck are you lying to me?”