Page 9 of Deal Breaker
“She’s here for the job. That’s it.”
“And yet your jaw’s been clenched since you walked in.”
I slam the lid of the espresso machine into place harder than necessary and don’t say a word.
Jesse lets out a low whistle. “Yikes. Okay, noted. We’re repressing.” He stands, crosses the room, and claps a hand on my shoulder. “I’m just saying, if you need to talk about your feelings, I can book you a therapy session. Or supply the tequila. Your call.”
“I need neither.”
“You need something, man. Because you’re acting like a guy who just saw a ghost.”
I meet his gaze. “She left, Jess.”
“Yeah,” he says softly, sobering for half a second. “But she came back.”
I exhale through my nose and take the shot of espresso in one go. Jesse watches me, the teasing gone now. “You know,” he says after a beat, “you never talked about it.”
“There was nothing to say.”
“Bullshit. You were wrecked. You just buried it under 12-hour workdays.”
I turn away, but Jesse keeps going. “You loved her.”
“I don’t anymore.”
“You sure about that?”
Silence.
I set the empty espresso cup in the sink, fingers braced against the counter. My jaw ticks. My pulse hammers. And still, I don’t look at him.
“For the last few years, I was damn sure,” I finally say.
Jesse leans against the counter beside me, arms crossed loosely, his tone softer now. “You don’t have to forgive her. Hell, you don’t even have to talk to her. But maybe you should stop pretending like seeing her didn’t mess you up all over again.”
I stare straight ahead. She left without a word. Without a note. Without a goddamn goodbye. And now she’s back—cool and composed and untouchable—and I’m the one who feels like the ground just gave out beneath me.
“I don’t know what she wants,” I say finally. “Is she really back for a job? That’s all?”
“Maybe or maybe she doesn’t know either.” Jesse shrugs. “But whatever it is? You’ve got backup. Always.”
That’s the thing about Jesse. He’ll push, tease, crawl under your skin just to watch you squirm, but when it counts, he shows up. Every time.
“Thanks,” I mutter.
He grins. “Don’t mention it. Just do me a favor and try not to fire her in the next 24 hours, yeah?”
“No promises.”
FIVE
Landyn
The office really is beautiful.
Glass and wood beams. High ceilings. Natural light spilling through the windows and reflecting off the reclaimed wood floors. It’s simple, but it feels expensive. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was walking into a luxury retreat instead of Cove headquarters. But then again, that’s the point. Luxury mixed with nature. Boardroom meets backcountry.
I swallow the lump rising in my throat and step through the front doors like I belong here. Like I didn’t spend the night tossing and turning in the cottage, wondering if coming back here was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made.
