All Chapters of Too Late To Apologize, Mr. CEO: Chapter 131 - Chapter 140

“Please open the door, sweetie,” I said, desperately hoping she hadn’t done anything drastic.Silence. “I have a key, you know.” I said. “I don’t want to use it, but I will if I have to. Just let me see that you’re okay and I’ll leave you alone.” All the while I was talking I was mentally kicking myself. Savannah had told me about her and Victor and Santorini while we were locked up in that warehouse. The city had a special meaning for them. I’d forgotten all about it… then thoughtlessly blurted it out at the worst possible moment. “I’m sorry I mentioned it. You know—that place. I never meant to make you feel bad. I didn’t even remember you told me about it. It’s a gorgeous city. Anybody would want pictures of it on their wall.”“Oh, stop babbling.” Savannah was standing in the doorway. Her hair was a bird’s nest and she looked like she’d been crying. “Savvie!” I threw my arms around her, practically crying myself. “Let me go.” She wriggled away irritably. “You’ve seen me. I’m f

“Hey Mai, can I talk to you for a minute?” My legs trembled as I walked towards her after class. I was going three times a week and already felt like I was seeing a difference. It was just the process of getting there that was hard.Today we’d been learning how to roll with a strike and run away. We’d started out inside with the padded mats on the floor, but the second half of class had been out in the empty lot. I’d landed on my tailbone once or twice and it still hurt. “What’s up, Claire? You did really well today.” She stopped cleaning and smiled at me warmly.“Thank you.” I smiled back, basking in her approval. “I’d like your help—” I shuffled my feet, worried that she’d think I was unjustifiably paranoid. Mai watched with an expression of patient interest, waiting for me to come out with it.“—I want to get a gun.”She nodded soberly. “So it’s like that, is it?” “Yes.” Relief rushed through me at her understanding. I didn’t want to explain the whole long, disturbing story, but

My shoes were a mistake. Don’t get me wrong, they looked great. Everything I was wearing looked great. But the spike heels kept sinking into the gravel path. I had to pull them out with every step, giving me this weird marching walk.I didn’t let it slow me down. If I slowed down, someone would try to take my arm, and if someone took my arm, I’d probably have to hit them. “Savvie darling, wait up!” I didn’t turn around. I knew that voice. I’d been avoiding Michelle for the past couple of weeks. She was a good friend, but she could be exhausting. She never knew when to leave well enough alone. I kept my eyes fixed on the arched doorway of the building I was walking to.Claire had set up this ceremony, memorial, whatever she was calling it, at the cemetery chapel. She’d arranged everything and presented it to me as an accomplished fact. I had to go then, didn’t I? The chapel was a small gray stone building, covered with ivy. Appropriate for grief. I squared my shoulders, lifted my ch

“If you love me so much, then come back to me.” I hated the whine I heard in my voice. I was trying to make it light, joking, to mimic the way we usually dealt with each other. The thing we had was so strong that we’d never talked about feelings. We just coasted along on the surface, insulting each other, fighting and making up. I’d never had to worry. I always knew that I’d only have to look up, and he’d be there. Our connection had worked—until we had to deal with reality. With the new life we’d made together. Even then, when I’d packed my things and run, I knew that he’d come after me. Now, we were dealing with the death of that life. And I had no idea what to do, what to say. “We can start over,” I said, feeling my way along. “We can still leave for Europe. We can go anywhere.”He let out a short, humorless laugh and took a step back. Shit. I was only making things worse.“We can’t start over, Savannah. Look at us.” His gesture took in him and me, and the monument to our dea

“How do I look?” Ethan signed. He combed his hair and adjusted his shirt again. “Really good,” I replied. “The color sets off your eyes.” This was his first time visiting his dad in prison. I’d asked about it before, and they’d told me it wasn’t allowed. I didn’t know what Adrian had done to change that. Maybe it was privileges awarded for good behavior. Maybe he’d bribed and/or intimidated the right people.Either way, Ethan was a ball of nerves. He was even regressing back into silence. He hadn’t spoken all morning. I put my hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eye. “Ethan, your father loves you. He’ll be thrilled to see you no matter what you’re wearing.” He looked down. “Really?”“Yes, really. Even if you were wearing—” I took a moment to think about it. “—A bright purple shirt. With orange polka-dots. Only, instead of polka-dots, they’re eyeballs!” I opened my eyes wide.He laughed, his voice breathy. But then he went back to looking anxiously in the mirror. My phone