Page 138 of The Wrong Play

But he was also safe.

And if I could pretend—just for tonight—maybe I could let myself believe that safety was real. That I could have this, even if only for a little while.

So, I smiled when he kissed my temple. Laughed at something Matty said from the other room. Forced my body to relax even as the fear coiled deep inside me, whispering what I already knew.

Jace wouldn’t just let this go.

And when he found out the truth?—

I wasn’t sure if he’d still want me at all.

CHAPTER 25

JACE

Ipopped another handful of popcorn into my mouth, leaning back on the couch as I watched the screen. The coffee shop’s security footage played in perfect HD, and there she was—Mrs. Buttercupalicious herself, completely unaware as she wiped down the counter with a concentrated look on her face.

She was adorable. And perfect. And mine.

The sound of the front door opening barely registered until Parker and Matty walked in, still laughing about something. They headed straight for the fridge before Parker turned, finally noticing the screen.

He froze, and Matty frowned next to him. “Uh…what are we looking at there, Jace-face?”

“Surveillance,” I said smoothly, popping another kernel in my mouth.

Matty blinked. “Is that?—”

“Riley?” Parker finished, grinning. “Hell yeah, it is.” He came over to give me a high five because he understood true love.

Matty’s horror was instant. “Are you serious right now? You hacked the coffee shop’s cameras?!”

“Obviously.” I gestured at the screen. “How else am I supposed to keep an eye on her? She came home from work last night, and she was acting different, and I want to know why.”

Matty ran a hand down his face like he was personally suffering. “Did you ever think of just asking her?”

I snorted, because that was hilarious. That would have gone as well as me “asking” her to move in with me.

Meaning, it wouldn’t have worked at all.

Parker, meanwhile, had pulled up a chair. “How many angles do you have?”

“Three,” I said smugly. “One at the register, one at the counter, and one covering the backroom.”

Matty groaned. “You two arebothinsane.”

Parker pointed at the screen, watching as Riley leaned over the counter, oblivious to us watching her. “Damn. Look at my future sister-in-law, just killing it at customer service.”

I preened at that recognition that I was his brother from another mother. “It’s temporary.”

Matty gaped. “What do you mean it’s temporary? Are you planning on getting her fired now?”

I tilted my head. “Fired is such a strong word,Matthew. I prefer ‘reallocated.’”

Matty threw his hands in the air. “Reallocated?! This is a bad idea.”

Parker grinned, nudging Matty with his elbow. “This could be you. If you just gave in to your stalker.”

“Or Darla,” I supplied helpfully, ignoring the way Matty was cracking his knuckles again like he was thinking about introducing them to my face.

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