Page 3 of Fractured Faceoff

“Now, now,” he said, leaning forward with a smirk. “It’s my responsibility to make sure any man you’re enamored with deserves you, sugar. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t?”

“We’re friends?” I asked flatly.

He placed a hand over his heart in mock hurt. “You wound me.” His voice softened as he continued, eyes gleaming with nostalgia. “Remember that summer we builtthe treehouse? You were the only one who could figure out the instructions.”

I crossed my arms but couldn’t suppress a small smile. “And you kept falling out of it.”

“Hey,” he protested, grinning now. “I was testing its durability.”

“Sure you were.”

“And what about the time we made Ava’s science project explode? We almost burned down your garage.”

“That was your idea,” I retorted.

He laughed. “Yeah, but you helped mix the chemicals.”

“You were impossible back then,” I said, shaking my head.

“And yet,” he leaned in slightly, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, “you always had my back.”

For a moment, the tension between us dissolved into something softer, tinged with shared memories and unspoken understanding. It was easy to forget how complicated things had become when Jared looked at me like that—like we were still kids plotting our next misadventure.

But those days were long gone. I straightened up and met his gaze head-on. "We both have our roles to play now," I said firmly.

His smile faded slightly but didn’t disappear entirely. "Guess we do," he replied quietly.

“All right,” I said briskly, gathering my papers. "We’ll continue this next week."

Jared nodded and stood up, his presence filling the room one last time before he left.

As the door closed behind him, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. I glanced at the clock and realized we had finished early. For once, I could surprise Brody with food. Monday nights were his time to unwind, aritual he held sacred. He never recorded his shows on Mondays and it was my heaviest workload day. I had tried organizing my schedule to accommodate more time with him, but it never managed to work out.

Until today.

I grabbed my purse and keys, eager to make the most of this unexpected free time. Locking my office door behind me, I headed out to my car. The crisp autumn air felt invigorating as I walked through the parking lot. I decided to pick up food from our favorite Chinese restaurant, Golden Dragon.

Golden Dragon was a small, unassuming place nestled in a strip mall, but it had the best General Tso’s chicken in town. The owners knew us by name, often throwing in an extra egg roll or two as a thank you for our loyalty. As I entered, the familiar smell of soy sauce and ginger greeted me like an old friend.

"Hey Isla!" called out Mrs. Chen from behind the counter. "The usual?"

"Hi Mrs. Chen! Yes, please," I replied with a smile.

While I waited for the food, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Ava:

Hey, you and Brody are invited to our place Wednesday night. There's something we want to share.

My heart skipped a beat. Was she pregnant? God, I hoped Ava wasn't pregnant. Were they getting engaged? Breaking up?

I rolled my eyes. Always dramatic, Ava was.

Sure.

Anythingwe can bring?

Just yourselves

Six o'clock.

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