Page 11 of Unbossly Manners

“You’re staying here.” Jackson’s voice boomed and my nerves jumped under my skin. “There’s no reason for you to stay with that asshole’s sister. This place will be empty for a month. Don’t be irrational.”

His statement brooked no arguments and I nodded.

“Good,” he said.

Jackson kissed Kat on the cheek, then left.

The space felt less suffocating when he was gone. Jackson’s presence was daunting. He was so self-assured. It was impressive and scary all at once. Kat had a strong, confident energy, too, but it was gentler.

I liked how Jackson had been protective of me—as a woman-—but I didn’t take it as anything more than that. The way his gaze always found Kat, and the lingering kiss, it didn’t take a genius to know he was not over their breakup.

“He still wears his wedding ring,” I said, curious.

“He does,” Kat said, her eyes sad, but she didn’t elaborate and I dropped it.

“Do you have a spare toothbrush?” I asked. “Or if you just have toothpaste, I can do the white trash scrub.”

Kat laughed. “I don’t even want to know. But that won’t be necessary.”

She tossed me the bag from Duane Reade Jackson had left in the kitchen. Inside was a toothbrush, toothpaste, contact solution, Advil, Band-Aids, and a Cosmo magazine.

“Jax is nothing if not resourceful. And a caretaker at heart. But having two caretakers in a relationship never works out. They just annoy the hell out of each other.”

Kat pointed out her daughter’s bedroom where I’d be sleeping on the trundle bed. She gave me a pair of boxers and an oversized t-shirt to sleep in.

“Is he still in love with you?” I asked, unable to resist.

Kat pressed her lips together.

I worried I’d overstepped, but then she said, “I cheated on him, and yet he wouldn’t leave me. He’s very loyal. Even after I broke his heart, he stayed.”

“But you’re divorced now?” I asked.

“It’ll be finalized in about a month. We’ve been separated for most of the year. I’m with someone else. Or as ‘with someone’ as I’ll ever be.”

Before I could ask what she meant, she went into the bathroom, ending the conversation. When she was done, I switched places and readied for bed.

“Where are you going?” I asked Kat. The trundle was made up with clean sheets and a blanket.

“My boyfriend and I work for an NGO that provides care and support for malnourished children in different parts of India.”

“I thought two caretakers don’t work,” I said as Kat climbed the ladder to the loft.

“He takes care of the children and I take care of both the children and him. Jackson never let me take care of him. He’s a good man. Just not my man.”

Kat flipped off the light switch and the apartment went dark, except for the soft ambient light of the city coming in through the tall windows. I was bone-tired but my mind twisted and turned with the events of the night as I crawled into bed.

My mind traveled to the darkest moments, and Chip’s insults hammered in my brain.

You should come with a warning label… You’re the worst girl I’ve ever been with…

My phone vibrated. There was a message from Brody on WorkHub, the work messaging app. I sat up and opened it.

I saw you watching us tonight.

He made it sound salacious. I quickly typed back.

I wasn’t watching. I walked by and saw you.

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