Read Online Cut Too Deep by KJ Bell - Free Book Online Page A

definitely not writing him.

    The insane amount of work piled up on Hadley’s desk made the workday zoom by. She never made it to lunch and hadn’t spoken to Mac the entire day, which had been somewhat intentional on her part. Her friend believed, as Dr. LeClair did, that her writing Miller was a good idea.
    Hadley popped into Mac’s office to tell him to have a nice weekend. With a phone to his ear, Mac held up a finger, signaling for her to wait. She sat in one of the hard, uncomfortable chairs in front of his desk.
    After Mac placed the receiver in the cradle, he smiled at her.
    “What’s up?”
    “I wanted to say goodbye.” Hadley realized why he looked confused. It wasn’t her typical routine to seek out her friend for goodbyes at the end of a workday. The only other time she had done it was the evening they had plans. Suddenly feeling awkward, she stood up, slung her purse strap over her shoulder, and bowed her head. “I’ll see you Monday.”
    As she walked to the door, Mac called her name. Hadley turned around, and he asked, “Do you want to dance tonight?”
    God, more than anything Hadley wanted to go dancing, but she couldn’t risk it. She tried to smile, but it didn’t come.
    “I can’t,” she finally replied timidly.
    Hadley’s response clearly didn’t mesh with her reaction the other night, and Mac saw right through her. His head tilted questioningly. She felt exposed as though a clothesline full of her dirty laundry hung between them. He saw in her eyes the truth was off limits, but pushed anyway. She had opened up to him before.
    “Do you have other plans?”
    “No…” Unless a microwave dinner and cable television counted as ‘plans’. “The parties are illegal, and, for reasons I won’t talk about, I can’t risk getting into any kind of legal trouble.”
    His teeth sparkled like a goddamn toothpaste commercial when he laughed, and then Mac pulled Hadley into a tight hug.
    She shoved against him, scowling up at her obnoxious friend.
    “What the hell are you laughing at?”
    Mac released her and smiled.
    “The police don’t give a shit about these events, and if they did show up, they would only send everyone home. The organizers may be charged with a misdemeanor permit infraction, but that’s it. You won’t get into trouble.”
    Hadley wanted to trust her friend, but she couldn’t. The stakes were too high. Trust led to trouble, and, in this case, trouble led to Harold Duwatski.
    The slightest hope filled her heart, and she smiled on the inside. She wouldn’t go tonight, but she would do a little research. If she could prove Mac correct, then she would definitely be dancing her ass off the next time he extended an invitation. She may even decide to send the big ape a picture to taunt him with her fun.
    “Thanks, but I can’t tonight. Maybe next time.”
    “Okay, but you’re missing out.”
    “Believe me, I know, but I didn’t sleep well last night. I’m grumpy and won’t be much fun anyway.”
    It wasn’t a complete lie. Hadley didn’t sleep much after Miller invaded her dream.
    “I doubt that. I always have fun with you, but it’s cool.”
    “Thanks. I’ll see you on Monday.”
    Mac not pressuring her came with relief. He didn’t believe her story, but as the friend she needed, he refused to make her uncomfortable.

H adley changed into some yoga pants and slid her feet into pointe shoes. She drew all of her dark hair back, twisted it, and then rolled it into a tight bun on the back of her head before fastening it with an elastic band.
    Her knees creaked and popped on her way to the floor to stretch. Dancing had been hard on her body, particularity her knees, but the minor discomfort would never cause Hadley to quit dancing.
    She stretched for twenty minutes before standing and playing some music on her iPod. Hadley choose the playlist she created years ago to honor her mother who loved music from the fifties. “That’s Amore” by Dean Martin started to