Page 45 of Veiled

She says it like she’s almost shocked. “You said I fell for him.”

“And you denied it,” she shoots back.

I did. I wanted it to not be true. “It doesn’t matter. I’m a professional.”

“Cool. So don’t fuck your other clients,” she says and waves me off. “But you’re in love with this one, so don’t be an idiot.”

“What the hell does that even mean?” I ask angrily, not even sure who I’m mad at. I don’t think it’s her.

She leans down on her elbows on the marble counter and looks directly at me. “We can have both, if that’s what we want. You don’t have to choose. You can love him and have him, and you can love your career and have it too. Don’t let them win.”

I sit up straight, knowing she’s talking about my parents. People I very rarely talk about. “I’m not. I don’t do this for them.” Not anymore.

“I know you don’t. I know you love your career.” She stands up straight, but she’s still looking right at me. “But I also know that you think love will make you weak. I used to think that too.”

I try like hell to swallow the lump in my throat away, but it won’t budge. “It does make you weak. I’m a fucking mess.”

She smiles at that in a way that can only be described as sweet, but that’s not right. Jenny isn’t sweet. “Fix it, sweetie.” She rounds the corner and pulls me into a hug. “You love him, and it’s okay.”

I wrap my arms around her reluctantly, not wanting to feel this. “I messed it all up.”

“As men tend to do,” she says with what I know is a smile on her face, even though I can’t see her. My face is buried in her neck.

“What if he won’t let me fix it?”

“He will,” she says with so much certainty. “I know he loves you too. Who wouldn’t?” she asks teasingly, and it does what she intended.

I let out a little laugh, even as tears start to fall from my eyes, ruining her expensive shirt. But she doesn’t push me away.

“It’s going to be okay.”

“Love really sucks,” I say, sniffling, and she laughs, hugging me tighter.

“Yeah, it doesn’t look fun.” I sniff again and pull back enough to see her face.

“When are you going to go through this? I want to return the favor.”

She tosses her head back and laughs. “Never. Ever.” She winks at me and brushes a tear away from my cheek. “But if I do, I know you’ll be there to laugh at my dumb ass.”

That makes me laugh again, but it’s short, and I barely feel it. Because I don’t know if I can fix this.

And I’m really not used to this feeling.

Chapter Twenty-Three

JUSTIN

“That was really good,” Daisy says sweetly as I come out of the recording booth, having recorded my newest single. I feel pretty good about it and lean my guitar against the sofa before sitting down.

She joins me, looking like she’s really excited about the new song. She didn’t ask to make any changes either. Stuck to her word, and I’m grateful. “Thanks.”

“Well, I’ll handle everything else, but I think this is going to be a hit.” She grins at me, and I look at her smiling face and bright eyes. I try to imagine a world where she and I could be a couple.

I’m not stupid. I’ve seen the interest in her eyes since we met four months ago but never pursued it. She hasn’t either, thankfully. I don’t think I could take having to turn her down.

And not just because we work together. Clearly, I don’t have a problem crossing professional lines.

Nope. It’s because of him. I should be into Daisy. She’s gorgeous, but not only that, she’s kind. And she really cares. She won’t just dump me when she’s had enough and leave me feeling cold and empty.

---