Page 21 of Bravely Yours

When his car door slammed shut and he tore off, Jay put gentle pressure on my back and led me to the front entrance. “Let’s go get our girl and eat dinner with friends.”

I froze, my feet sticking to the pavement.

Ourgirl?

Jay looked down at me, and warmth flooded my system. I could see it in his eyes. There was no surprise or regret. He just unapologetically embraced what he’d said.

And the scared, broken girl inside me finally felt hope for the first time in a very long time. But could I trust him? And could I trust myself to believe that this could be something real?

Chapter Fifteen

JAY

Head shakingand with a smile on my face, I knocked on her door. Nora wasn’t crying, but she hadn’t been any of the dozen times I’d shown up here over the last two weeks. Hopefully, by now, Sarah understood what I wanted. What my intentions were.

I refused to sit in my apartment alone when I wanted to be here with them. Again, I had to laugh at myself. For months, I’d wanted to be alone and in my own space, and now that I had that, I wanted to be somewhere elseentirely.

The routine Sarah and I had gotten into was the best part of my day. I would show up, and she would open the door, that gorgeous knowing smile directed at me.

Except not this time. The moment the door swung open, I could tell something was wrong. The skittish, frazzled woman I had met that first night was back.

“What’s wrong?” I followed her into the apartment.

She stood in the middle of the open living room, scanning the space and wringing her hands.

“I don’t know.” Her voice wavered as she spoke. “I think someone’s been in here.”

“What?” I snapped.

She spun back to me, fear and uncertainty settling over her like a dark cloud.

I took in a deep breath, wanting to kick myself for using such a rough tone. “Sorry. Didn’t mean for that to come out so harshly. But what do you mean you think someone’s been in here?”

“Maybe I’m just losing my mind.” She shook her head. “But things seem like they’ve been moved.”

Her phone vibrated where it sat on the coffee table. I swear to God I would lose my mind if it was another text from thatwrongnumber. We all knew it was that piece of shit wannabe Danny Zuko.

By the time she picked it up and gasped, covering her mouth with her hand, I was at her side.

Shaking, she handed me the phone.

You look beautiful in that dress today.

What the hell?

I’d had the same thought when she opened the door a second before, but it had evaporated the moment I’d seen her face.

God dammit.

“I’m staying here tonight.”

“What? You don’t need?—”

I placed my finger on her lips. Even terrified, she was affected by my touch. Her eyes went wide, then heated. Damn, did I want to cover her mouth with mine until we both forgot all about the danger that lurked.

“What do I keep telling you?”

She smiled behind my finger.

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