Page 99 of While You Were Spying
“I was just putting my laundry away. Nothing exciting.” Especially after the past few days.
After I grab some drinks for us, we sit on the living room couch. Cassie plays on the pink baby blanket on the floor, examining a squishy block that was also in Ava’s oversized bag.
“Liam told me what happened at the resort,” Ava says. “How are you doing?”
“Fine. Better than fine. I did what I set out to do—prove to your husband that I’m capable of doing what he and the guys do.” I grin, unable to hide my excitement at my new promotion. “And now I’m a member of the team. I’m their first female operative.”
She squeals and flings her arms around me in a tight hug. “Congratulations! Liam told me a while ago that you wanted to be one.”
I laugh. “Let me guess, he was grumbling about it at the time.”
“You might be right about that. He didn’t think you were qualified to do the job.Blah blah blah. But I knew that once given a chance, you’d prove him wrong.”
“Thank you.” At least one of my close friends is supportive of my decision.
Too bad the one who counts the most isn’t.
“So what’s going on between you and Jayden?” She says it so innocently, but there’s nothing innocent about the gleam in her eyes.
Two can play at that game. “What do you mean?”
“Oh come on, Isabelle. You don’t think for a second that I don’t know what happened at the resort, do you?”
“Let me guess, Liam told you.” The question is, what exactly did he tell her?
I mean, sure, Landon pretty much put the pieces together when he found me naked with Jayden.
But this is Landon we’re talking about. He’s not one to gossip.
“That Jayden’s in love with you? I pretty much guessed that for myself a while ago.”
I open my mouth to deny it, but she doesn’t give me a chance. “Don’t even think about lying to me. While it might not have been obvious to you and Jayden—and probably the other guys, too—I’ve always suspected there was more simmering under the surface between you two than you were willing to admit. And for the record, I think you make a great couple.”
“I hate to disappoint, but Jayden and I aren’t a couple. And we can never be one.”
“Why not? I know your history when it comes to men hasn’t been spectacular.” She knows about Richard. The cheating part, that is. “But you’re so afraid of a man hurting you like your father hurt your mother, you’ve closed yourself off to love.”
“For good reason. I’ve been there. Done that. Maybe I’ve inherited some sort of gene that makes me prone to being cheated on.”
Ava shakes her head as if she’s talking to a small child. “What happened with your ex-boyfriend isn’t on you. You can’t give up on love just because of one idiot’s mistake.”
“It wasn’t just the cheating that was the tipping point for my mom when it came to my father, and for me when it came to Richard. They were never happy with who we were. They were always trying to change us. My mom wanted a career, but Dad wanted her to play the good little housewife. To be his trophy, to show off to other men of his status. My ex-boyfriend was the same. He wanted me to be someone I wasn’t. Someone more fitting for his career ambitions.”
Ava tilts her head to the side. “But that doesn’t sound like Jayden at all. He doesn’t come off as the kind of man who would cheat on a woman. And he knows exactly who you are and hasn’t tried to change you.”She narrows her eyes. “He hasn’t tried to change you, right?”
“As a friend, he hasn’t.” I chew on my lip for a moment, wondering how much to divulge. “He admitted to being in love with me—”
“Ohmigod, I was right about you two.” Her voice is almost a shriek.
At the sound of it, Cassie stops playing and glances up, her eyes wide with surprise and curiosity.
“Sorry, sweetheart,” Ava says. “Mommy got a little excited for a moment. You’ll understand when you’re older.” She returns her attention to me. “Are you in love with him?”
“I am.” No point denying it. “But I can’t be with a man who doesn’t want me to do my job because he’s too afraid that I’ll be killed. It’s different for you and Liam. He doesn’t freak out when you go to your job as an elementary school teacher. He doesn’t want to bubble-wrap you so you’ll stay safe.”
Ava chuckles. “We are talking about the same man, right? I think for most men, it wouldn’t be a problem. But our men have seen too much to escape their fear for our safety. You just have to be patient and give Jayden the chance to adjust to your new career. And most of all, you have to be understanding of his fears. They’re there for a reason.”
“I get that. I go through the same thing every time he goes on a mission. But I’d never ask—and would never expect—him to give up his job because I can’t handle the idea of something bad happening to him.”
