Meg woke up struggling to breathe, and her heart thumped. Her dream felt real as she shivered in her sweaty damp shirt. The slamming of metal rang in her head. She had been locked in jail for something she didn't do. "It's not me!"

She looked beside her at Tyler and his relaxed even breathing. Thankfully, she hadn't screamed in her sleep. The guilt had been chasing her, especially since Cade left a message for her. The desperation in his words made it all real. His scared voice was not the same one which whispered to her as he kissed behind her ear sending pulses through her body. The memory of Cade kept her from lusting for Tyler. It wasn't fair to Tyler, but she would hurt him if she saved Cade.

Unable to sleep, she slipped out of bed and pulled on running shorts and bra. Maybe she would feel better after a run. Next she grabbed a leash to exercise Blue. The dog came to her. She loved their occasional runs. If she lived there... Meg didn't finish her thought. If. Not when gave her pause. Tyler had asked her again the evening before. Her excuse that she needed time sounded flimsy to her ears. Tyler had too much patience and respect to push. More guilt.

Once she hit the sidewalk, Blue pulled her to the lamppost. With the dog's business done, Meg took off slowly to start. As she gained speed Blue kept pace. The pup knew not to stop and sniff like she did on her walks. The rhythmic pounding on her feet in the quiet neighborhood allowed her to think.

She never talked to Eli after he showed up to pry. His disapproval came through loud and clear. Tyler teased Eli because he was single and loved justice more than women. Did Eli want Meg to testify? Justice was setting an innocent man free.

When she circled back a guy approached her on the sidewalk. Blue growled which surprised her. The pup was typically friendly. He moved aside and pulled out his phone. She shivered because he looked like her image of the guys in the mafia article. It was stupid because Tyler lived in a different neighborhood from the ones known for mafia thugs.

She let out a sigh when she closed the door behind her. An overactive imagination wouldn't help her think. Tyler was still asleep, so she fed Blue before taking a shower.

She jumped and shrieked when Tyler entered the bathroom. "Jittery?"

"Sorry. I thought you were asleep."

He chuckled. "And a stranger walked in instead?" She laughed it off, as her mind remembered the guy on the street.

The next day, she skipped her run, but they walked together in the park. It was their Sunday tradition even when everything was normal and they were just friends. Meg always loved spring when the trees flowered and the air wasn't stifling like in the summer. Forcing herself to enjoy the day, they held hands and strolled.

As they walked by a row of benches, Tyler pointed out an elderly couple who sat holding hands. Was their friendship strong enough to survive into old age? As she looked at the next bench, her step faltered. A man sat with the Boston Herald in his hand, but looked up at her as they passed by him. He looked exactly like the guy on the street the day before. It didn't feel like a coincidence.

Tyler looked at her. "Are you okay?"

"Yup. Good. Let's go that way. She pointed to a different loop that avoided the benches."

Was it her imagination? Maybe the two guys just looked similar. That was it, she tried to convince herself. Still she felt better when they were safely in Tyler's apartment. Later that afternoon, she and Tyler went to Beacon Hill to have dinner with her parents.

Shannon said, "Meg dear, what do you think?"

She looked at her mother. "About what?"

"The church for the wedding. I envision flowers at the end of every pew and..."

"Mom, stop planning our wedding."

"You need to be ready. We have secured the Copley ballroom and the church for next June. It takes time to plan a wedding."

"You picked a date?" She looked from her mother to Tyler. "Did you know about this?"

"Not until she just mentioned it. You were right here."

She had been busy worrying about coincidences or more accurately things which weren't. Their meal ended on a sour note after her mother revealed her wedding planning. Tyler kissed her and said, "I'll go so you can have some space. I know you like your alone time."

She forced a smile. "Okay. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

One more kiss and he left, leaving her and her worries alone. In the morning, she called an Uber to drive her to work although she usually took the subway. As she stepped towards her building the same man stood by the door. He opened it and she walked through, flanked by others. He looked right at her and wished her good morning.

She walked over to the lobby security officer to tell him not to let the man in, but he was already gone. It was definitely not a coincidence as she wondered what message he was sending.

At her desk, she forced herself to breathe. A flashing light on her phone meant a voicemail. Her belly flipped. Maybe it was Cade. She tapped her password, but it was an unfamiliar voice. "If you testify for Maloney, you'll be sorry."

She dropped the receiver. They know. How did they know? Only a few people knew. Eli. Cade. His lawyer. The police but Eli said there was no record. She never thought about why they came for Cade and went to every door, but in retrospect she knew the Copley would never allow their guests to be awoken in the middle of the night. She needed to talk to Eli.

Unfortunately, he didn't pick up his phone, so she texted him asking him to call. All day she waited. Finally, her phone rang at two.

"Meg, what's up? I've been reviewing evidence all day."

"For Cade?"

He cleared his throat. "I just took a break for lunch."

"Some guy is following me and warned me not to testify."

"Oh shit! Did he touch you?"

"No, but I've seen him three times. He knows my routine." She heard voices in the background.

"Yeah, I'm coming. Listen, I have to go. Stay at work. I'll come get you."

"Okay." She sat holding the receiver. For a moment, she considered calling Cade. Obviously, he wasn't behind it. He had begged her to come forward.

The clock crawled, and she feared five o'clock would never come. If Eli was busy, he might have to work late. She tried to work but stared at the same paragraph without seeing the words. When her own phone rang, she jumped. Eli. She breathed.

"I'm heading your way." She heard street noises.

"I'll wait in the lobby."

"No. Wait until I call you," Eli demanded.

Sighing, she put her phone down, but it immediately vibrated. Tyler. "Hey, let's get dinner. I'll pick you up."

"Today isn't..."

"Eli?" Tyler's tone was full of surprise.

Meg felt nauseous. She wanted to hang up. "Tyler?" She barely got the word out.

"Why is my brother at your office building?"

Eli said, "Tyler, I asked her to meet to talk her out of dragging her feet."

Had Tyler told his brother she was dragging her feet? Needing time sounded better.

She found the energy to rush down the stairs. In the lobby, she found the brothers in a standoff. She rushed over out of breath. "Eli, let's just tell Tyler the truth."

Eli looked at her. "If you want to..."

Tyler's face contorted. "You don't have to. No wonder you wouldn't commit. My brother. I don't even know you anymore."

He stormed out the door as she yelled, "Ty, stop!"

Eli sighed. "I'm so sorry."

"Now he hates you."

"We'll tell him the truth, but I'm not sure he'll take it any better."

Meg sighed. Even though Tyler knew about her night with Cade, he wouldn't like being humiliated. By testifying, she would definitely disgrace her family and the Hathornes, especially Tyler.

"Come on. Let's get you a drink."

"Is it safe?"

"We can go talk at your house. Your father can help."

She shook her head. "I'm not ready for that."

"My place?"

She slowly nodded. She had only been to his apartment once. Tyler dragged her to a Super Bowl party. He lived in an apartment building near the waterfront. Both the brothers worked hard even though they had trust funds large enough to not need to.

They didn't speak in the car. Eli actually drove his own car to work. No one Meg knew did that, not even Tyler. She felt a tear; she lost her best friend. Even if he forgave her, she had betrayed his trust. The list of secrets she kept from him had grown. Before her birthday, she had never kept details from him.

Eli led her through his parking garage into the lobby of his building. They stood close because others coming home from work crowded the elevator. Before he opened the door, he said, "Pardon the mess."

She looked around. There were dishes by the sink and a takeout container on the coffee table. It didn't scream slob, just a man who was too busy to tidy up.

He picked up the eco-friendly container and a glass off the coffee table. "Sit. Wine or something stronger?"

"Nothing. He hates me."

"He's angry. He'll cool off like he always does."

Eli's phone was buzzing like an electric razor. "Fuck. My mother."

Meg winced. If Chickie knew, then her mother did too.

"Let's ignore all this. Tell me what happened."

"I noticed a guy when I ran on Saturday morning."

"What did he look like?"

"Mafia. Slicked back hair, like his name is Guido or Vinnie."

Eli pulled up a picture on his phone. "Him?"

"No. Younger. Thirtyish."

He nodded. "Did he say anything?"

"No, but Blue didn't like him." She felt a tear drop. "Blue will hate me too." Ignoring her emotions, he asked her to continue. "Then he was on a park bench when we walked Blue on Sunday."

"Why didn't you call me?"

"I wasn't sure it was the same guy."

"And today?"

"He was in front of my building and wished me a good morning. Then I had a voicemail warning me not to testify."

"Did you save it?"

"Yeah. I just hung up."

"Can you access it remotely?"

She nodded and dialed her work number and pressed her code. "Here."

Eli frowned as he listened. "Don't erase it."

"I thought no one knew about me."

Eli sighed. "The cop who brought you to Tyler's did."

"And the one who knocked on the door."

Eli nodded. "This is bigger than you and me. Anyone in my office could be involved, but I trust the District Attorney. I have to, but not all the others." He cleared his throat. "If you want to give a statement, I will make sure you are safe."

"How?"

"I'll go directly to the DA. The thing is, we're on the grand jury schedule. I've seen every ounce of evidence. A lot is bullshit and even more is missing. There should be a condom. They collected his shirt but don't want to mention it because there is no gunshot residue or spatter. It was a close range shot."

Meg winced. "You believe Cade didn't do it?"

He nodded. "With your story maybe I can get the DA to drop it."

"How?"

"We could show up on his doorstep and..."

The buzzer interrupted Eli's response. He looked at Meg. "I doubt it's the real threat."

Eli pressed the intercom. "Is my daughter with you?"

Eli turned to Meg. "I think we should tell him."

Meg felt her heart in her throat as Eli released the door. "I'm 408."

All her secrets had exploded like manure all over her.

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