Page 24 of Redemption

Seeing her now, she was so buttoned-up. So stiff and professional.

What had happened?

And was I somehow responsible for this change?

Don’t flatter yourself. It had been years since we were together. I’d changed, and so had she.

I sighed and stared out the window, the clouds drifting past. Seeing her again, being so close to her again, had everything rushing back—the good, the bad, the…unexpected.

I was standing at the entrance to the VIP section of the club near closing time when a group descended. Rich. Young. Drunk.

One of them stopped, her head tilting in confusion. “Jackson?”

It took me a minute to place her. And when I did, I could scarcely believe my eyes.

“Sloan?” I asked, barely recognizing my little sister’s best friend. Damn, she looked good. Short dress. Low neckline. Glossy pink lips.

The longer I looked at her, the more differences I cataloged. And it wasn’t just the makeup. It was…everything.

“What are you doing here?”

“I, uh—” I tugged on my collar. Shit. Was it tight? Panic sliced through my veins, and I glanced around. No one was supposed to know I was here, least of all my sister’s best friend. “Is Greer with you?”

She shook her head. “I’m here with some friends who are in town for the weekend.”

“Come on, Sloan!” a girl called to her. I’d seen her earlier, her and her friends. She was some celebrity. A model or a socialite or something. And she knew Sloan? Nothing about this was adding up with the picture I had of Sloan.

She was my sister’s roommate. Young. Broke. College student. Yet here she stood, looking like…that.

And I wasn’t the only one who’d noticed. She turned heads everywhere she went.

Suddenly, the floor manager was at my side. “Is there a problem?”

“No.” I swallowed. “No problem, sir.”

“Good. Then get back to work,” he barked then quickly disappeared.

Sloan’s eyes went wide. “Work?” She leaned in and whispered, “Jackson, are you undercover or something?” But all I could think of was the smell of her—wild roses and sunshine. Amid the bright lights and the loud music, it centered me.

“Please don’t say anything to Greer,” I begged, careful to keep my voice low. “Please.”

I’d hoped to have more time before confessing to Greer. In truth, I hoped I’d never have to tell my family I’d left the Navy until after I found a more permanent job. I knew how disappointed they’d be.

Disgrace. Failure. Liar. The words spun through my head on an endless loop.

“I won’t for now.” Sloan held my gaze. “As long as you promise to explain what’s going on.”

“You hungry?” I asked. “My shift’s almost over.”

“I…uh, sure. Let me just say goodbye to my friends.”

I nodded, clocking out and then meeting her at the front. We went outside to hail a cab. When Sloan shivered, I removed my jacket and placed it over her shoulders. She smiled up at me, and it was like a punch to the gut. “Thanks.”

I hailed a cab, giving them directions to a twenty-four-hour diner down the street from my place. We grabbed a table and ordered some food.

“How’s school?” I asked, wanting to ease into this conversation.

“How’s school?” she sputtered. “Um. I think we have a few more important things to discuss. Like why you’re working at a club in New York while Greer still thinks you’re deployed. Do you know how worried she’s been about you?”

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