Page 118 of PS: I Hate You
“My perfect future has more birthdays like this,” I murmur, and Dom’s lips twitch into a barely-there smile.
But I see it. And as his words and pleased expression play onrepeat in my mind for the return journey, I can’t help remembering how we only have two states left.
At the start of this, I wanted everything to go by faster. Get to the next destination quick, so I could hear from Josh and get Dominic Perry out of my life for good.
But now?
Now I think I’m ready for life to slowdown.
Fall
Chapter
Thirty-Five
TheOut of Ordersign on the elevator has me groaning.
“Sorry about that,” Simon calls out to me from his desk. “Forgot to mention they’re doing maintenance this morning. Should be good to go by the afternoon. Everyone coming in today is in for a morning workout.” He chuckles and points toward the door leading to the stairs.
If only it were as simple as that. Walking up twelve flights of stairs might be annoying for the average person, but it’s a breathing hellscape for me. Even after my Idaho training. I haven’t taken many trips to the gym since getting back two months ago. My Bane mask is collecting dust on my shelf. My fitness level is questionable once more.
And I don’t have Dom to give me a piggyback ride this time if I get too winded.
Which I will. Because it’stwelvefreaking flights.
And I’ve got a meeting at the top of those stairs in a half hour.
“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath.
Walking farther down the hallway, I tug my phone out of my pocket and pull up Pamela’s number. She answers on the second ring.
“Maddie! Are you almost here? We’re getting set up in Conference Room B.”
“Hey, Pamela. About that. How imperative is it that I attend in person?” My apartment is a fifteen-minute walk from here. A flat walk that ends with a functional elevator. I could get home and situated faster than I could get up these steps. I try not to dwell on how one technical malfunction has pretty much ruined my day. But I can still salvage things if—
“Oh no, Maddie. We need you here! You have the slides for the logistics team. And Francine even flew in this morning.” She names the CEO of the company, and I barely keep a curse to myself. Francine likes me. We’ve had good interactions. But she’s also old-school and big into the work-at-work mentality. If I try to video conference in, no matter how good the connection is, she’ll be irritated.
Enough to consider replacing me?
I breathe with my diaphragm, hand on my belly, knowing panic won’t help this situation. For a brief moment, I consider reminding Pamela about my asthma. She knows in a general sense that I have asthma. She’s seen my inhaler. But I’ve never had to use it in front of her because the most I’ve exerted myself around her is hauling my laptop bag from room to room.
Still, what would telling her help? I need to attend this meeting, and she can’t get the elevators turned on for me.
“Okay. Yes. Of course. I’ll be there.”
“Good. I’ll save you a seat.”
When we hang up, I stare at my phone screen, then switch my eyes back to the door of the stairwell. Better start now if I have a hope of making it up to the twelfth floor in time.
I really wish Dom were here.
And not just so he could carry me, although that would be nice.
What I need now is a distraction from how shitty this climb is about to be, and no one is better at claiming my attention than Dominic Perry.
On a wild hope, I pop in an earbud and dial his number.
He picks up after the first ring.