Page 79 of Heal You
Jan wouldn’t say it was support she needed.She just didn’t want to sit here looking like a lost soul while Amanda was around.It was quite clear that she and Morgan had been having some kind of heart-to-heart when Jan had arrived.
I’ll be okay.I’ll finish my wine and leave.The woman she was seeing before I came onto the scene is here.It’s a little awkward.I’ll call you tomorrow.
As she locked her phone and shoved it into her bag, Jan sat back in the booth and stared down at the table.Was this what her life would be now?Lonely evenings in bars.Dinner for one in a fancy restaurant.Days on end without human interaction outside of work.It was a depressing thought but one Jan had to prepare herself for.
She reached out and brought her drink closer to her.The deep red liquid sloshed around in the glass, almost spilling over the side.Jan lifted it and sipped, only to lock eyes on Morgan, who was now standing at the end of her table.“Is everything okay?”
“You’re here.”
Jan’s brows drew together.“Do you want me to leave?”
“I can’t believe you’re here.Just…sitting here.”
Jan cast her gaze on the table again.“I’ll go.I’m sorry.I probably should have called to ask if it was okay to come.”She set her bag down on the table and slid towards the end of the booth.“I had hoped you had the night off so we could talk.”
Morgan stepped back as Jan got to her feet, one hand shoved in her jeans pocket.“You wanted to talk?”
“Yes.But right now isn’t ideal.I understand that.”Jan’s eyes drifted towards Amanda very briefly.She was watching their interaction intently.“I didn’t realise she was around again.”
“She’s not.She turned up about an hour ago.I didn’t know she was in town.”
Jan searched Morgan’s eyes.Genuine, as always.“Then I’ll come back when it’s a better time for you.”
Morgan chewed her lip for a moment.“When you say you want to talk…is itusyou wanted to talk about?”
“Mmhmm.If there’s any chance of an us, anyway.”Jan didn’t want to imagine never being with Morgan again, but she didn’t know how Morgan felt about her anymore.Jan had fallen off the face of the earth for two weeks.“I know I should have come to you and explained why I needed some space, but my head wasn’t in the right place the night I texted you.”
“Hey, you don’t have to explain.”Morgan took a step closer.“I know what you’re going through, and I’d always prepared myself for a message like that.Granted, I wasn’t expecting it, given how great things were going between us, but I get it.I just wanted you to be okay.”
“I am.I’m okay.”Jan inched a hand forward and took Morgan’s, which hung at her side.“Thank you for understanding.”
“I wanted to call you, but I didn’t think you’d appreciate it.I’ve been worried about you.”Morgan entwined their fingers and stepped closer again, the softness of her eyes melting Jan.It was nice to know that hadn’t changed.“It’s so good to see you, Jan.”
“Are you sure?”Jan wrinkled her nose, even though Morgan looked happy to see her.“I don’t expect you to be very happy with the way I left us, but it really wasn’t anything you’d done.You’ve been amazing.You’ve been patient and understanding.You…care.”
“Of course I care.You mean the world to me, babe.”
Jan’s heart fluttered.She’d missed these moments with Morgan.God, she’d missed everything about her.“I know I’ve shown up here tonight unannounced, but would you consider giving me another chance?I don’t expect an answer from you in this moment, but I would be grateful if you’d think about it.About us.”
Morgan beamed one of those delicious smiles.“I don’t need to think about it.”
Jan practically pressed herself to Morgan, a hand placed on her chest, and drew her in to enjoy the sweet taste of her lips.Even though she’d spent the last week sorting her life out, Jan had taken any opportunity she could to remind herself of this woman.Of everything Morgan brought to her life.Happiness, laughter, excitement.Reluctantly, Jan pulled back and took her bottom lip between her teeth.God, she’d wanted to kiss Morgan in public for so long.Spain hadn’t counted—nobody knew either of them there—but here…where they had friends and acquaintances, she’d ached to do it.
They gazed back at one another, the heat between them quite clear and a stark reminder of what Jan had almost lost.She smiled as she said, “I guess we should arrange that date we’vecontinuouslyspoken about.”
The sound of a stool scraping along the floor had Morgan turning around suddenly.Amanda was aggressively shoving her phone and purse into her handbag.Jan wouldn’t get involved in this, so she took a seat and watched whatever was about to happen unfold.
Amanda crossed the room and stopped in front of Morgan.She looked down at Jan, scoffed, then held a hand up in her face.“I don’t know whothe fuckyou are or where you came from.”She glared at Morgan.“Have you been fucking her behind my back?”
Morgan’s brows rose.“Really?You actually think you haveanyright to ask me that?”
“Have you?”Amanda lowered her hand from in front of Jan’s face and stepped closer to Morgan.“Is this why you were so quick to drop me?”
“I dropped you before I met Jan.”Morgan squared her shoulders.“Let’s not forget thatyou’rethe cheat, not me.”
Jan rose to her feet and cleared her throat when she noticed several customers watching.“I think you should leave.This is Morgan’s bar, and she has customers in.”
Amanda turned to Jan.“And I think this conversation has nothing to do with you.”
