Page 20 of Love JD

I examined the card before handing it back to her. “I’m Zev,” I said, holding out a hand, which she shook firmly. “Thanks for coming.” Isla scoffed from her spot on the couch. I gave her an inquisitive eyebrow raise. “Something to say Isla? Oh, this is Isla,” I said with a sweep of my hand her way. Isla tried to stand, and I leaned over to push her back down. “She’s not supposed to get up for three days,” I added with a bland smile.

Shirley bent around the doorway to give Isla a sharp look. “I’ve been told.”

“Traitor,” she muttered under her breath.

My original assessment of Shirley turned out to be true, and she brought plenty of gear into the apartment with her, casting concerned looks at the broken doors and getting Isla set up with breakfast, sports drinks, and alternating ice and heat for her ankle. I texted my assistants and paralegals as Shirley did her thing, and it became apparent to me that if I didn’t get my ass back to the office, this merger was going to fall apart.

I sat on the coffee table in front of Isla while she thumbed through a textbook. She looked up, and I watched as her eyes assessed my expression, the keys in my hand, and my laced-up sneakers. “Headed off?” she asked coolly.

Goddamn, she was cute. I resisted the urge to pinch her cheek. “I am. I have to get back to Denver. How do you feel about Shirley?”

She shifted her gaze to the nurse as she sorted Isla’s pills into a weekly container. “She’s very bossy.”

“Perfect,” I emphasized. “Anything else I can do before I head out?”

She shook her head, looking discomfited. “You’ve done more than enough. Thank you.”

“I already texted you my number. Save it, and if you think of anything you need, text me. My flight leaves in three hours, but if for some reason you can’t get a hold of Tristan for something—”

“I’m sure I’ll see you at Thanksgiving or something,” she smiled weakly.

I winced. “I don’t really do family holidays.”

“Oh.” She twirled her fingers through the strings on her sweatpants she’d changed into. “Well… have a good flight.”

Why did this feel so weird? We weren’t quite friends—I couldn’t go so far as to say that. And we weren’t really family, either. I wasn’t sure what Isla was to me. I just knew that it felt wrong to leave her. “Stay safe,” I said pointedly.

She gave me a crooked smile that tugged on my heart. “I’ll try.”

Ignoring the twang of misgiving in my chest, I stood and gave Shirley a wave. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too,” she smiled briskly. “She’s very lucky to have you.”

“Oh, I don’t—” Isla started to say.

“Yes, she is,” I cut in with a teasing grin for Isla’s benefit.

She rolled her eyes and buried her face in her textbook, but I could see the blush above the pages. Smiling to myself, I leveraged the broken door open and backed out. As I did, my phone rang, and my usual world—my gray, corporate world with greedy CEOs and never-ending demands—pulled me away from strawberry blushes and banter that made me feel like I’d been filled with helium. I knew which one of those I’d rather be headed to, and the difference was so stark, it only made the choice clearer. There were needs and then there were wants. Needs took priority over forbidden wants.

What I couldn’t ignore was the niggle of worry about reporters and the mess I’d gotten Isla into. I might not be able to guard her myself, but I knew who could.

.

Chapter six

Isla

I dodged curious stares as I took my veggie cup and armful of books to a table in the library cafeteria. They didn’t allow food in the library itself, but they had an eating area, and if I didn’t get some food in my stomach soon, I was going to add to the negative attention swirling around me lately. And that really was the last thing I needed. My life had been Hell, pure Hell for the last week, and for the first time in my life, I couldn’t wait for school to be over.

A haggard stringbean of a guy passed by my table, coffee in hand and eyes feverish as he argued on the phone with what sounded like a group member from a project. This was our last full week of classes before finals, and I could practically feel it like a charge of voltage through the air. It made us all buzzy and twitchy, and although I had finished my bigger assignments, CHEM 412 had me sweating a little.

I set my food on the table and pulled out my textbook and digital notebook, intending to go through the notes for that class and see if I could answer the questions at the end of the chapters with my hastily scribbled notes alone. As I got to work, homing in my focus on the questions, I ate broccoli and carrot sticks absently, frowning at my notes and writing out answers.

A text came through on my phone with a barking sound. Sighing, I picked it up and checked what I knew was a message from the security detail Tristan had hired to tail me.

Guard Dog:

I turned away two reporters at the door,

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