Page 131 of Hot Cops

“You knew it would take some time. I’m sure you’re right there on the cusp of something big.”

Audrey nodded, clearly not agreeing. “I’m thinking about moving back to Baltimore.”

Landon wasn’t sure how to respond to that. If she’d told him the same thing a year ago, he would have been thrilled, excited, ready to jump right back in where they’d left off. Mercifully, that hadn’t happened, because he couldn’t begin to imagine wanting that life over this one. Even with Sunnie still fighting her feelings for him.

“Audrey. It’s only been a year or so. Are you sure you’ve given it?—”

“I started dating someone right after I moved to New York.”

Her abrupt right turn caught him off guard. “Okay.”

“He was an actor too. We’d go to auditions together and around Thanksgiving, we moved in together.”

Landon thought back to Thanksgiving. He’d eaten lunch with his mom and stepdad, then headed to the Collins Dorm later that night for a Tom-Hanks-giving marathon. He had still been nursing a broken heart, down in the dumps and missing Audrey. Sunnie and Finn knew, of course, and had come up with the movie marathon as a way of keeping him distracted.

Obviously, Audrey had rebounded a hell of a lot faster than he had.

“Why are you telling me this, Audrey?” he asked, wondering where this conversation was going and hoping she’d get to the point soon. He really wanted to return to the bar to keep an eye out for Sunnie.

“The first time he hit me was Christmas day.”

Landon’s stomach dropped. “What?”

Audrey forced a smile that didn’t fool him, lifted one shoulder—feigning a casualness that didn’t work, then said, “Not all guys are nice.”

“Audrey.” He reached across the table and grasped her hand as she swiped away a tear with the other. “I’m sorry.”

Sunnie wasn’ttwo steps in the pub when she was surrounded by Finn, Darcy and Miguel.

“What’s up, guys?” she asked, trying to look around them for Landon, the task impossible, thanks to the wall they’d built.

“Not much. How are things with you?” Darcy asked, her voice way too cheery.

Sunnie instantly went on the alert.

Kelli had already moved around her, heading to the bar to talk to Padraig. Yvonne, also unimpeded, followed her.

Sunnie noticed when they both saw something and stopped mid-step.

That was when they came back and added two more bricks to the wall.

“What the fuck?” Sunnie insisted, trying to dodge them.

“Why don’t we all move the party upstairs?” Yvonne suggested. “You can change out of your scrubs and we’ll turn the intervention into a slumber party.”

“Great idea,” Kelli said.

Sunnie wasn’t fooled for a minute, but she pretended to be. “Sure. Sounds like fun.” She took a few steps toward the stairs, then deftly dodged to the right, around their circle—immediately spotting Landon sitting in the corner booth, holding Audrey’s hand.

“It’s not what it looks like, Sun,” Finn murmured, placing one hand around her waist, still trying to guide her to the apartment. “She showed up here unexpected, just wanted to visit for a little while, catch up.”

Sunnie stared at the table. She couldn’t see Landon’s face. Hell, she couldn’t see more than the back of his head. But she could see his hand, holding Audrey’s. And Audrey’s tears. “It looks like more than that.”

“Sunnie—” Yvonne started.

“You guys stay down here,” Sunnie said, forcing her gaze away from the table. “I do need to change my clothes, freshen up.”

Watch something.

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