Page 11 of Shattered

“Good. Now we better head inside, otherwise, Shirley will dock our pay for being late.”

For the first time in weeks, I had a genuine smile on my face when I trailed behind her through the glass door, not caring one bit the diner looked crazy busy. I had my best friend back.

“Holy shit, I’m exhausted,” Henley groused, leaning one hip against the counter as she counted her tips at the end of our shift.

“Maybe you should’ve taken a few more days off.”

“Don’t be like Keaton.” She leveled me with an annoyed look. “If it were up to him, I’d never work another day in my life.”

“He loves you.” I shrugged, wishing I had someone whowas even half as devoted.Oh wait. I did.I nearly slapped my palm against my forehead at the realization.

Stepping into the hallway from the small break room, she stilled my steps with a hand on my forearm. “Speaking of, you know I love you, right?”

“Why do you sound so ominous?”

“Lanie’s here.”

“Is she planning on kicking my booty with her ninja skills?”

Lanie was a seriously badass FBI agent, who had the moves of Mohammad Ali and the body of Marilyn Monroe. She could probably take me down with both arms tied behind her back without breaking a sweat.

“Only if you try shutting us out again.”

My head snapped to the right when I heard her voice. Lanie stood against the swinging door, which led to the dining area, hands fisted at her sides as if she were bracing for a fight.

“I won’t.”

And I meant it. Guilt had been my only companion during the last few weeks. It was an unbearably miserable and lonely existence; one I wasn’t apt to repeat.

She nodded, closing the space between us, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

“Good. Now I wanna hear all about this editing gig, right after you explain why the hell you kept it a secret.”

My face flamed fire-engine red as I gaped at Henley. “You told her?”

“She’s an expert interrogator,” was her response.

Throwing my head back, I burst out laughing for no other reason than it seemed more appropriate than dropping down on my knees to beg for their forgiveness. These two women hadn’t let a day go by where they weren’ttexting or calling, still my stubborn ass was too locked up in shame. Shame that wasn’t mine, or even Jett’s, to shoulder. He did what he did out of love. Plain and simple. It just took me a while to quiet the ugliness of my mother’s voice, which played on repeat in my head.

“You’ll never be enough, Jade.”

She was wrong though. I’d scratched and clawed my way through life, simply to prove her wrong.

“So where are we headed?” Lanie’s question pulled me back to the present.

“Jett should be home soon.”

“Say less.” She held up her hand. “I’ll grab some adult beverages on my way to your house. You two order a pizza.”

“I guess I’m with you,” Henley added, threading her arm through mine.

Prior to the incident, Keaton and I shared driving duty since Henley’s piece-of-crap car had conked out. What she didn’t know—and I’d never admit out loud—was I suspected Keaton had purposely sabotaged her precious “Old Blue.” The thing was a disaster waiting to happen, but since it once belonged to her mom, it held deep sentimental value. Which was why it was currently parked at Noah’s, since he had room to store it.

“Pepperoni and extra cheese?” I questioned, clicking the locks open with my key fob.

“We’d better make it two. I have a feeling the guys will make their way over at some point.”

“Where are they anyway?”

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