Knox's eyes flashed in anger before he turned away from Nessa. "Alright, let's say you're right. Let's say you really have spirit friends who told you I was out of town at a meeting."

"An AA meeting," Nessa clarified.

Knox turned back to Nessa and eyed her suspiciously. "What makes you think I didn't kill my maid before I left? It would have been possible."

"Unlikely, but I guess you're right." Nessa shrugged. "So, are you going to give me a job? Or am I going to have to run after those detectives and tell them I'm a ditz who got her days mixed up? Should I tell them you were with me two days ago and not last night?"

"You wouldn't do that. They'd know you were lying."

Nessa smirked. "I doubt it. All they'd have to do is look at my work history and they'd definitely believe I'm a ditz."

His eyes narrowed and he sat back down behind his desk. "Fine. I'll give you a job."

"And I want business cards. I'll need them to give to my parents."

Knox frowned. He leaned forward, his elbows on his desk. "Your parents are wealthy. Why not ask them for a job?"

Nessa sighed. "You wouldn't understand. You live off your parents' legacy."

"Now wait a minute. I worked hard to-"

"I'm not saying you don't work hard. I'm saying I don't want to look back at what I did in life and think I got to where I am because of my parents."

"Is it really so wrong to get help from them?" Knox asked.

Nessa tapped her head. "Remember my ghosties? Well, my parents don't exactly believe me. The only person who ever did was my grandmother and she's not around anymore so even if I wanted their help, it comes with a cost. They've never truly been able to accept me for who I am. Do you know how lonely that is?"

Knox studied her, tapping his fingers against his mouth as she spoke.

"Okay," Nessa said. "I just told you a big personal secret. Now it's your turn, Mr. Twinkles. How long have you been sober?"

"Mr. Twinkles?"

"Do you prefer Knock Knocks? It's better than the nickname you gave me. Pants Pervert."

The corner of Knox's mouth twitched upward "It was deserving at least. Now, I'm going to have to explain my tattoo to Patrick."

"Stop avoiding the question. How long have you been sober?"

"Why should I tell you?"

Nessa grinned. "I already know the answer. I just want to hear it from you."

Nessa could've sworn she heard a growling noise from him but he answered.

"A year."

"The whole ordeal of being left at the altar really did a number on you, huh? I guess I can understand that. You're one of those rich narcissist types women usually fall for and do anything for. You're like the business tycoon in a romance novel. How dare she leave you at the altar!"

The grin on his face told Nessa Knox didn't miss the sarcasm she tossed in his direction.

"I loved Jessica. It wasn't just her leaving me and disappearing to avoid her family's anger that upset me. It was the looks of pity. I stopped feeling like...like a man."

Nessa gave him a look of confusion.

"It affected my business decisions. It impacted everything-- even who I was, to my very core. Rejection is a powerful thing," Knox explained.

"I can understand that," Nessa agreed.

"And what do you know about rejection?" Knox scoffed. "I apologize. You do know a thing or two, don't you? Considering your work history, you must be an expert at rejection."

"And you must be an expert at pissing people off," Nessa grumbled as she sat in the seat across from Knox's desk. "For your information I was rejected in love. In case you forgot, my ex-boyfriend was Tate Montgomery."

"Ahh...that's right. Mitch's son."

"We were childhood sweethearts and I honestly thought I was going to marry him."

"Maybe you will one day," Knox said.

Nessa gave Knox a look of disgust. "No way. That ship has sailed. It got lost at sea. Pirates attacked it and set it on fire, leaving it to sink and never be resurrected. Its only company are the sharks that pass it by once in a while."

Knox leaned back in his chair. "It sounds like you've thought about this before."

Nessa lifted a shoulder in dismissal. "Only on Sundays. And Mondays. And every other Thursday. It's not like I'm obsessed or anything."

Knox made a scoffing sound.

"Tate was supposed to be my happily ever after but he broke my heart. Now he's my happily ever never. For a moment, I thought he even broke me. Literally broke me from my head to my toes. I couldn't function. That's what happens when you think your soulmate abandoned you. I can understand why having your heart broken by your ex would cause you to drink but did you really become an alcoholic?"

"I told you it wasn't just because of her-"

"You don't have to lie. Not with me," Nessa said softly, tapping her head as if to remind him she knew everything already.

"It made me forget," he whispered. "I'm an idiot for admitting that."

"Why?"

"Because. I don't know why, it just does." Knox sighed. "Do you know why I stopped drinking? Did your--" He whirled a hand in the air. "Did your friends explain why?"

Nessa shook her head.

"Patrick knew I had a problem. He didn't say Nything at first. When he did, it pissed me off. He had no idea what I was going through. Then I got so drunk I found myself waking up next to a stranger I didn't remember meeting in a city hours away."

Nessa nodded.

"I snuck out and raced home feeling ashamed the entire time. I got tested for every step in the book and then I quit. I started attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in a different town."

Nessa sat forward so her elbows were on her knees. "I have a theory. Do you want to hear it?"

"Go ahead. You're going to tell me anyway, aren't you?"

"Probably." She nodded. "It's something I thought about since Tater broke up with me."

"Tater?"

"Tater Tot was my nickname for Tate. Anyway, my theory is everyone is looking for their forever love. Whether they realize it or not, everyone wants it."

"A forever love?"

"Someone who will love us no matter what we do or say. Someone who will accept us despite our flaws."

"Are you talking about your ghosties right now?" Knox asked.

Nessa smiled sadly but nodded. "Unconditional love. We all want it but it's hard to find. Clearly, Jessica wasn't the one for you and Tate wasn't the one for me. Maybe they were looking for that too and that's why they left us."

Knox shook his head. "I loved Jessica. I thought we had that forever kind of love."

"Did she know that?" Nessa asked.

"I thought she did."

"Do you still love her?"

Knox opened his bottom drawer and pulled out a picture of Jessica. "I don't know."

"If she were to walk through these doors and ask you to forgive her, would you?"

Knox cleared his throat as he struggled to find an answer. Finally, he nodded. "I think so. I think I would."

Nessa's smile slowly faded. "I'm so sorry, Knox."

"It's not your fault. She's the one who left me and I'm the idiot for still caring about her. I wouldn't get back together with her but I want her to be okay."

Nessa sighed. "Knox--"

"I know," he said. "You told me she's gone. It's just hard to believe."

"I know you don't believe me about my ghosties, but they're real. I do hear voices," Nessa insisted.

"And?"

"The day I wrote on your napkin about Nicholas Sparks--someone helped me write that. I mean maybe another spirit knew about you and Jessica and told me to write it but it seems unlikely."

"Just spit it out," Knox demanded.

Nessa swallowed the ball of apprehension in her throat. "I think Jessica may have been murdered and that's why she didn't attend your wedding."

"How do you know this? Did she tell you this?" He cursed under his breath before staring back at her.

"I can't be sure but every time I get close to you, I feel like she's warning me to stay away."

"And?"

"At first I thought it was because she was jealous. Like insanely jealous. Maybe I'm wrong. You said the police were here earlier because of a murder. Maybe whoever killed Jessica isn't done yet. Which brings me to my last request. If I'm going to work for you, I'm going to need something."

"You just dropped a bomb like that and now you want to make a demand from me?" Knox asked.

Nessa nodded.

"Well? What is it?"

"If I'm going to be your secretary, I want a bodyguard."