It was then that Dana seemed to find her voice. “But Rock, you don’t understand. We-”
“Drop it, Dana. You disgust me even more than he does. After what we -” He stopped abruptly, realizing he’d almost brought up something that should never had happened. Something that had seemed special. But not anymore.
He took one last look at her – he couldn’t help himself – and what he saw there looked strangely like hurt and pain. But no, that could not be. The only pain she was feeling was probably the pain of having been discovered.
He was the one in pain, the pain of loving a woman who had betrayed him. The pain of knowing that, in spite of her deceit, he could never hurt her. No matter what he’d said, he would never take this to the police.
Without another word Rock turned, walked back into his office and slammed the door shut behind him.
**
“How could he, Becky?” Dana whispered, the tears welling up in her eyes. “He didn’t even give me a chance to explain.”
“I know, honey. I know.” Becky sat on the bed beside Dana, wrapped her arms around her and pressed her head down onto her shoulder. “Just try to put it behind you.”
“How can I?” Dana wailed. “He thinks I’m a thief. He’s going to have me arrested.”
“No, honey, it won’t come to that,” Becky said, her voice soothing but firm. “You know the whole story and so does Jason. All you have to do is tell the police what really happened.” She gave Dana a squeeze. “And Rock, too. You need to let him know that he made a terrible mistake. You’ve got to talk to him.”
Dana pulled out of Becky’s arms and glared at her friend. “Never. I will never speak to that man again.” She tightened her lips and sucked in her breath, her nostrils flaring in anger. When she spoke again her voice sounded strange even to herself – frigidly cold and hard with bitterness. “He was so quick to think the worst of me. He never even considered that he could be wrong.” Then the cold mask of her face crumbled, even as her heart cried inside. “And to think I actually thought I was in love with him,” her voice cracked on the word, “and that maybe he loved me, too.” And then the tears came and she turned her face to Becky’s shoulder and this time when her friend held her as her shoulders heaved with sobs, she did not pull away.
The man she’d said she would hate now hated her – and she didn’t know how she was going to live with that.
**
Two days had passed since his catastrophic confrontation with Jason and Dana and still Rock felt like he couldn’t breathe.
He was like an automaton, showing up at the office, doing what was required, but his heart, his soul, they’d both died inside him. How could he live with the knowledge that Dana would never more be a part of his life?
Of course, she hadn’t come to work yesterday nor this morning. Why would she, after the way he’d thrown her out? But, idiot that he was, each morning that he’d come in his eyes had wandered to her desk as if he expected to see her sitting there.
Feeling almost claustrophobic Rock got up, walked over to the plate glass window and looked down at the people hurrying along, totally oblivious to his suffering. He could not live like this, he knew. He had to see Dana again.
And that was when he knew he had to find her. He could not let it end, not like this. He had to give this thing one more try.
Dana was probably a victim in all of this. Maybe she’d succumbed to the bad influence of Jason Blake. Maybe now that she’d met him, that they’d shared that special night together, she would want to change. He had to give her that chance. He loved her too much to let her slip away, no matter that she’d done this.
His mind made up, Rock moved away from the window and returned to his desk. He would call Dana, convince her to let them meet so that they could talk. It was his only option.
Rock was dialing her number when he heard a knock at his door. He frowned. He wasn’t expecting anyone and he was definitely not in the mood for surprise visitors. “Yes?” he called out, his voice stern.
“May I come in?” The muffled voice came to him through the closed door. “It’s…Jason Blake.”
Son of a gun. The snake had some nerve, showing up at his door. And he was a fool, too. What if he’d followed through on his threat of reporting him to the police? Rock got up and crossed the room then flung the door open. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Jason cringed as if he expected Rock to punch him. His face ashen, he croaked. “Please. Give me a chance. There’s something important I have to tell you.”
“What could you possibly have to tell me that I don’t already know?” Rock advanced on the smaller man and he backed away.
“It’s about Dana. She’s innocent.”
The words stopped Rock in his tracks. “Innocent?”
Jason nodded, a look of relief flashing across his face. “Yes. She didn’t know anything about what I’d done. In fact, to this day I still can’t figure out how she found out. But she confronted me and told me it was best to confess and ask for your…mercy.” When he spoke the last word it sounded almost like he was asking a question.
Rock shook his head, confused. “So if she wasn’t in on this why in the blue blazes would she say she’d confess with you?”
“No,” Jason said, putting up his hands, “not confess with me, be there with me so I’d have the courage to do what had to be done. You see,” he looked down and heaved a sigh, “I skimmed the funds from my expense accounts because I needed to buy expensive medicines for my mom, to keep her alive. When Dana found out she insisted that I tell you and…I guess she knows I’m a bit of a coward…she said she’d be there for me to help me do it.”
When Jason fell silent Rock could only stand there looking at him. He didn’t know what to feel – relief, anger, disgust? He could only stare at the bespectacled man in shock.
And then it flowed through him – sweet, sweet relief. His Dana was innocent. He almost sagged at the thought.