“We don’t have any of Jemima’s cousins working here. Not that I know of, anyway. I can’t be sure but I sincerely doubt it. It’s not like any of them need to work.” His voice gets louder as he comes out to talk to me.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Jemima’s a Pearlman. Of the Pearlmans. Actually, she is in line to be the main heir of the Pearlman line.”
“Oh my God, of Pearlman Fashions?”
“Yeah. Everyone in the extended family works there.”
“Then why does she work here?”
“Apparently the Pearlmans were pretty close with Neil, Kaine’s adopted father. And they wanted her to come get some experience working in another Fortune 100 before she takes over the reins there, I guess. They’re psycho, the lot of them. She’s the most normal out of all of them.”
“But this guy, he came and did the installations at the library.”
“Him? I’ve never met him before. He doesn’t work for Ash. It can’t be him.”
“No, Xavier, I swear it was him. He was wearing that emerald earring when he was there. Over two days, he was in and out.”
“You’re positive?”
“100%.”
He frowns and I can’t make out what he’s thinking.
“Xavier? Who would’ve booked the installation person for us?”
“Well, there’s a whole department for that, but since it was a priority job, and a big one. So Kaine would’ve been involved and… he probably got… Jemima… to do it. Oh my god.”
It dawns on us at the same time.
“OH MY GOD!” I turn and the look of horror on his face must mirror mine.
“Tell Kaine now!” I yell at him as I run to the elevator, wondering if we’re too late.
HIM
I’m drifting in and out of sleep. They’ve given me some sort of steroid and morphine concoction to help with my lungs and the pain in my hands and it’s making me loopy.
I see doctors and nurses coming in and out, and they tell me things but I can’t quite make them out.
Through it all, though, the only constant is this ache in my chest.
And the ache’s name is Jade.
It’s been almost a day since I sent her away, and the only thing I’m grateful for, the only thing getting me through it, is the thought that she’s better off.
They’ve rewrapped my hands and they don’t look too bad. They’ll scar, the doctor said. But they’ll heal. Scars I can live with. Have lived with. Open wounds that won’t heal are what I’m dreading.
There’s a buzz on my nightstand and I turn my head slowly, my neck stiff. The cell phone’s screen is lit, but I can’t read it. I reach out to grab it, but before I can, someone else’s hand grabs it, wrenching it away from me.
I turn to the surprise visitor.
“Jemima,” I greet her. Through my haze, she seems to look okay, so she wasn’t injured in the fire. I am confused about why she’s here now though.
“Kaine,” she says and she leans over me, presses her mouth against mine.
I turn my face away, trying to push at her with my bandaged hands, they scream with pain but it doesn’t stop me.
“What are you doing?” I gasp at her.
“I came to say good bye. I didn’t think a kiss was out of the question considering it’s the last time you’ll ever see me.”
The drugs must be having a stronger effect than I thought, I can’t understand what she’s saying. Why is she saying goodbye? “Where are you going?”
“Away. Don’t try to look for me, you won’t be able to find me, I’ve made sure of that.”
“What’s going on?”
“You know, Kaine. For such a smart man, you sure aren’t so good at seeing things that are right under your nose.”
“What? What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, I told you that you would regret it.”
“Is this about the other night?” I ask, a faint memory forming in my head as I try to focus.
“Yes, it’s about the other night. And that night one year ago when you rejected me.”
“Jemima, I’m sorry about what happened.
“No. I don’t want to hear it. It’s too late.”
“Too late for what?”
“For you. I’ve already done my damage to Ash Industries, no one’s going to trust your precious new product now. All your work down the drain, just because you didn’t make the right decision about us.”
It all suddenly becomes crystal clear.
Oh my God, it’s been Jemima all this time. She’s right, she was right there under my nose and I never ever suspected her. She would’ve had full access to all my files, access to me. There’s no question of her ability to do it, the only question is why.
“You… you’re J? Why?”
“Because men like you need to be taught a lesson. You can’t just toy with women and throw them away. You knew, you had to have known when I came to work for you why I did it?” Her eyes are wild, and I realize she’s crazy. She built up this fantasy about us in her head and when it didn’t happen, it pushed her into this insanity.
“You father asked me to, Jade. You know that, I was helping him out.”
“Oh, come on, Kaine! My father was just using me, he thought I could seduce you and we’d eventually take over your company as well. I’m the one who told him I wouldn’t. Because I loved you! I was trying to protect you! And you just reject me… for a complete… nobody!”
Something rings a warning bell in my head.
This isn’t just about me.
“Who are you talking about, Jemima?”
Her laugh grates in my ears and I struggle with the urge to cover them with my bandaged hands. I have to focus, focus on what’s happening here.
“Your precious, Jade. She thinks she can just strut into our lives and break us apart? No. If I can’t have you, she can’t either.”
She walks towards the door and even through the throbbing ache in my skull, I know I have to keep her here as long as I can. She hasn’t just mentioned Jade for the fun of it. It must mean something.
“Jem. Please. Wait.”
“It’s too late, Kaine. You had your chance.”
I have to play this smart. I’m already at a disadvantage, me in a hospital bed, pumped full of drugs. But if I’ve ever needed to concentrate, this is it.
“Jemima, stay Please. Don’t leave me like this, you wouldn’t… not if you really do love me.” I want to retch saying the words, but when she stops and spins around, I know the tactic is worth it.
“Don’t play me, Kaine,” she says, but her voice wavers.
“I’m not. I just… I don’t think I realized until now, at the thought of you leaving and me never seeing you again, that something is happening between us. Maybe I’ve been suppressing these feelings all this time,” I say, reaching out my bandaged hand in her direction, deliberately flinching in pain.
A frown flits across her face; it’s barely there, but I catch it. Insane, yes. But it seems her deluded affection for me is real.
I lay back on the bed, hissing between my teeth and pressing my hand against my chest, taking an exaggerated breath.
“Jemima… please. At least, can you get me some water. Please. My throat is so dry.”
Her whole body tenses and she looks at me, trying to read my real intentions. I try to empty all ulterior motives from my mind and lock my eyes with hers. She’s hiding something. Something she hasn’t admitted yet. I need to find out what it is before she walks out that door.