Page 42 of Heal You
I’m a little busy at the moment running through some figures.Can we do it some other time?
Jan hated lying to Gillian.She couldn’t recall a time before meeting Morgan when she had done so.Still, Jan was only doing this to protect herself.And to put less pressure on herself.It was bad enough that Phil had fucked everything up for her; she didn’t need to continue it by fucking it up for herself, too.
Can you not do that another time?Finn and I miss drinking with you.
Jan smiled.She appreciated that her friends missed her, but it wouldn’t change her answer.How could she even think about drinking wine on the couch when she had Morgan’s undivided attention?
My liver needs a rest before Spain.You know, with all the sangria I’ll be consuming!
Jan sunk further into the couch and sighed.Sunshine, heat, the ocean.Fun, laughter, not a care in the world.Good food, great wine, and…Morgan.God, she couldn’t wait to get on that flight.She couldn’t wait to wheel her suitcase out of her hotel and pick Morgan up for their early morning travel to the airport.
Why does everything feel so good with her?
Jan didn’t know how to begin making heads or tails of this.Morgan shouldn’t have been the woman she was besotted with.No woman should.Fuck, this was really going to throw everyone in her life into disarray.As Jan thought about that, she found that she didn’t particularly care.
Her phone buzzed.
Fine.I’ll just have to drink without you!Call me tomorrow!
The door to Morgan’s flat opened suddenly, slamming shut as Morgan pressed her back to it, pizza boxes in one hand.“Fuck.That was close.”
Jan frowned.“What was?”
“They’re in the bar.Gillian and Finn.”Morgan splayed a hand against her chest and sighed.“Fucking hell.My heart is racing.”
Jan got to her feet and crossed the room, taking the pizza boxes from Morgan before her shaking hand dropped them.“Give those to me and breathe for a moment.”
“Finn wasobviouslysuspicious.I swear she has the scent and intuition of a fucking bloodhound!”
Yeah, Jan had to agree with Morgan.Finn always seemed to know what was going on when nobody else did.Jan was just glad that Finn couldn’t possibly know thatshewas up here.She may be good at sniffing things out, but she wasn’t that good.“Hey, relax.Finn doesn’t know I’m here.”
Morgan snorted.“I’m glad you’re confident of that because I’m not.”
“How could she know, Morgan?”
Morgan pushed off the door and followed Jan into the kitchen.“She’s just that kind of person.I don’t know how she does it.”
Jan left the pizza boxes on the kitchen counter and turned to Morgan.She reached out a hand and pulled her closer, kissing her the moment she possibly could.“I need you to relax.Your eyes are about to bulge out of your head.”
“I just don’t want people to find out like this.It seems secretive, and that’s not who I am.”Morgan shook her hands at her sides, and then she looked up at Jan.“I don’t wantyouto ever feel like a secret.”
“I don’t feel like a secret.And correct me if I’m wrong, butI’mthe one who asked if we could keep it to ourselves for a while longer.”Jan cupped Morgan’s cheek and smiled.“If you’re not able to do that, I understand.I don’t want you to ever feel as though you’re deceiving people.”
“I’m not risking this.No way.”Morgan leaned into Jan’s touch and smiled.“Feels too good to care about deceiving people.”
“Gillian texted me while you were getting our food.Asked me if I wanted to drink wine with her.I assumed she meant at home, but she must have meant here.”
“Did you want to?I can always get you out the back exit without them knowing.”
“No.That’s not why I told you.I don’t want to leave here until I absolutely have to.Spending the evening with you is becoming one of my favourite things to do.”
“You’ve really spent a lot of time alone, haven’t you?”
Jan shrugged.“It’s…whatever.I chose to put up with it.And I can’t really complain.Phil was out there drumming up business for us and taking care of meetings, soIdidn’t have to be the one travelling around the country.It’s only recently that he’s strayed.”At least, Jan hoped that was the case.If she found out Phil had been having affairs whenever he could, she would go down fighting when it came to the divorce.“Come on.Let’s eat this in front of the TV.”
“That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?”Morgan narrowed her eyes, but Jan noted the smirk immediately.“Because I don’t make you eat at the dining table like you probably do at home.”
Jan threw up her hands.“You caught me.Guilty.”
