Page 20 of Let Her Live

She felt weak and foolish; here she was, hoping to become an FBI agent, and yet she couldn't seem to get rid of one man. Maybe if she'd told him about the kiss with Jake, he'd go away on his own, but the idea of Mark knowing the truth made her skin crawl. She could only imagine him reacting with anger.

She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. She needed to focus on the case, not her relationship drama. She put her phone away and headed to the bathroom to take a shower, hoping that the warm water would help soothe her nerves.

As she washed off the day's grime, she couldn't help but think about Jake. He had been so kind and caring towards her, especially after Patrick's attack. It was as if he had become a protective shield around her, shielding her from harm. She felt safe around him, and she couldn't deny that she was attracted to him. But she also didn't want to complicate things or risk their working relationship more than it already had been.

It had been Jake who kissed her, after all, something she never saw coming. She never pictured someone like him could be attracted to someone like her. It just didn't make sense.

But she had to admit, she had been attracted to him since she first met him. Even if Fiona and Jake never went anywhere, it was wrong of her to still be with Mark. As far as she was concerned, she'd already broken up with him, but the fact that he didn't seem to accept it made it feel like their relationship was still ongoing. Like she didn't get to decide when it ended. The thought made her stomach feel ill.

Maybe Fiona wasn't the most experienced in the relationship department, but this wasn't right. She wondered what Jake would say about all of it. She was sure he'd have something wise to add. He was only thirty, a few years older than her, but he had much more relationship experience. Still, it didn't feel right to ask.

She finished her shower, wrapped a towel around herself, and stepped out of the bathroom.

To her surprise, Jake was already in the room, sitting on his bed and scrolling through his phone. He turned with a smile—until his face went scarlet red. He turned away just as fast.

"Ah, sorry, Red," Jake said.

Fiona felt her cheeks flush as she realized she was only wearing a towel. She quickly wrapped herself up tighter and tried to ignore the heat in her cheeks.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Jake," she murmured, then tiptoed over to her bag to grab some clothes out. "I didn't think you'd be back so soon."

Jake cleared his throat. "Yeah, I just finished up faster than I thought. And I didn't want to leave you alone for too long."

Fiona smiled at his concern. "Thanks, Jake. I appreciate it."

They both fell into silence, and the air felt tense and awkward.Fiona quickly grabbed her clothes and changed into the bathroom, grateful to be in her sweats and not a towel. She came back out.

"I hope you don't mind the single room situation," she muttered. "It was all they had."

Jake shook his head. "Not at all. I'm just glad you're okay."

Fiona nodded again, feeling relieved that he wasn't as bothered by it as she thought he might be. But she couldn't shake off the feeling of tension in the air. She wondered if it was just her or if Jake felt it too.

She noticed he'd changed too—a crisp black shirt hugged his lean frame, and he was wearing plaid pajama bottoms. It felt too intimate, and she knew Mark would be steaming if he knew they were in this situation.

Why am I still thinking of him? I'm breaking up with him. No, I already did.

"How did everything go at the station?" Fiona asked, sitting on her bed.

Jake sighed and leaned forward, clasping his hands together. "Yates's alibi seems solid. Karen could've gone on all night about his innocence, and we were able to confirm that at least some of his accounts were true. Since we don't know the exact dates the men were killed, only when they went missing, it's a bit harder to say for sure. Plus, he attacked us, so we can hold him for a while longer." Jake let out a breath. "But honestly, I think he's not our guy."

Fiona nodded slowly, taking in his words. "So, what's our next move?"

Jake shuffled back in the bed and leaned against his headboard. Fiona remained on the edge of her mattress, looking back at him.

"We need to keep digging. Talk to more people, see if anyone has any leads. We'll get to the bottom of this."

Fiona nodded, feeling a sense of relief that they weren't stuck with a dead end. "Okay. We'll keep searching."

They lapsed into silence again; neither of them wanted to bring up the elephant in the room—the kiss. Fiona wondered if Jake was thinking about it too, or if he was trying to forget it ever happened. She couldn't blame him if he was. It was just a moment of weakness on both their parts, fueled by adrenaline and the heat of the moment. Nothing more. But it didn't stop her from wanting to kiss him again.

Her face flushed. She crawled into bed, pulling the covers up to her chin, and tried to get comfortable. The bed was surprisingly soft, and she felt herself drifting off to sleep despite her nerves.

But then she heard Jake clear his throat again.

"Fiona, can we talk?" he said, his voice low.

Fiona felt her heart drop. This was it, she thought. He was going to bring up the kiss, and she'd have to face the awkwardness head-on. She took a deep breath and turned to face him.

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