Page 25 of Almost True
“Hi,” she said, standing tall and facing me like I was anyone else.
“I came to say I’m sorry.” No sense putting that off.
“What for?” Her brows pulled together as though my statement truly puzzled her, but the way her gaze found mine and hooked into me gave me a sliver of hope.
“Quite a few things. First, that Jake said what he said. He doesn’t have a filter and can be a little oblivious. Clearly, you didn’t want to discuss what happened, and I apologize that it even came up.”
Her lips curved into a fond smile. “He’s harmless.”
“Agreed. But I gathered you didn’t want him sharing all the details of what happened.” And damn, but that was really why I’d come. To apologize, yes, but also to see for myself that she was okay. I had no right to that, among so many other things, but I needed to hear her say it. I’d deliberately chosen not to read the article I’d found on my phone during lunch. It’d taken every bit of restraint, but something in me felt it wouldn’t be right.
“I didn’t. I prefer not to talk about it.”
Message received. I didn’t need her to tell me all the gory details. “I get that.”
She shook her head and let out a breath. “I didn’t realize the story had broken. We’ve been doing damage control, but it’s a little late. The story leaked and of course, it’s sensational and will get clicks, so there you have it.”
No wonder she’d seemed shaken by Jake’s comment. “I’m sorry. That must feel like a terrible invasion.”
She nodded, and slowly, her eyes lifted to meet mine. “Well, I’ve got to get going.”
Crap. This wasn’t how I wanted this to go. But what could I do? Clearly, she had plans and standing with her dirt-covered yard guy wasn’t one of them.
“Of course. Right. I’ll just…”
“Okay. Well. Have a good evening.”
She turned for the door, but I had to know. So I grabbed her wrist with my giant, doubtless still dirty hand. Her inhale came on a gasp as she turned to look at me, then down at where I clasped her golden skin.
“Are you okay? You don’t have to say anything more, but please tell me that.”
Thoughts must’ve been flying through her mind with the way she stared down at our point of contact, lashes fluttering for a few seconds, before she gave me her face. “I’ll be okay.”
My heart thundered in my chest, the belated and completely futile need to protect her from this unseen and now irrelevant threat rising in me so sharply, I stepped closer. “I’m sorry that happened. I wish…”
What? That I’d been there? That I’d somehow kept her safe when Wilder Saint barely managed to?Not likely.
“It’s fine. I’ll be fine. Thank you for your concern.”
I dropped her arm immediately, sensing the dismissal. She did that well—chose her words so specifically that they communicated more than one thing. The face-value sentiment and the other one—the one I read loud and clear.
The one that said we were done. My choice to stay away from her, to reject whatever she had in mind last weekend, and to treat her like an employer or even something forbidden… that’d closed all the doors between us.
I’d wanted to draw thick lines and not feel like a fool, but as the actual door shut behind her, I saw it clearly: I hadn’t saved my pride, and I’d ruined any chance with Maddie Reynolds I might’ve had.
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
Maddie
Juliet wrapped me in her arms and held me tight enough my breaths grew shallow thanks to her brute emotion-fueled strength. We breathed in the comfort of each other’s nearness and even though I knew what I’d find when she released me, my heart still ached with love and gratitude when I saw her tearstained face.
“I’m so glad you’re okay, and I’m never leaving you again.” She shook me where she held my shoulders.
I laughed through the tightness in my chest and nodded. “That’s fine with me.”
She grinned, then winced. “Okay, actually, I will have to leave you in a few days to go prep for my next UN trip, so I’m going to need the full download and everything stat.”
I waved her inside. “Stat? Who are you right now?”
