Page 21 of Let Her Live

"Sure, Jake. What's on your mind?"

Jake hesitated, his eyes flickering between her face and the wall behind her. "Look, I know things have been weird since the—"

Just then, Fiona's phone began ringing, cutting into the room.

Fiona's heart fell. No—she'd wanted to hear what Jake had to say. Was it about the kiss? Something else?

She grabbed her phone to see who was calling, hoping Jake would continue. It was Mark. Fiona inwardly groaned and pressed the silence button on her phone.

"I'm sorry," she said, turning to Jake. "What were you going to say?"

But now hesitation was written all over Jake's face. "Ah, it's nothing," he said. "I was just gonna say, after we do some more training with you, enough to get you in great shape, I think you should join the academy for real."

Fiona's stomach fell. She could tell that wasn't what Jake was going to say.

"The FBI academy," Fiona clarified. She knew she couldn't cut straight to being an agent with her experience, but it would feel strange to go back to school after she'd already graduated from Harvard, believing that was it for her.

But the FBI academy would be different.

"I'm sure Chief Whittaker will have you in a fast-track program," Jake said. "He obviously sees a ton of potential in you. I do too. I can train you as best as I can, but you'll still need some institutional work before you're given a real gun and badge."

Fiona nodded, trying to hide her disappointment. She knew Jake was right—she needed more training before she could be a real agent. But she had hoped that he was going to talk about their kiss. She wondered if he had changed his mind or if he was just too afraid to bring it up.

"Thanks, Jake," she said, forcing a smile. "I appreciate it. The academy sounds like a great opportunity."

Jake smiled, seeming relieved that the awkwardness had dissipated. "Yeah, it is. And I'll be there with you every step of the way."

Fiona nodded. She felt grateful for his support. But deep down, she couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something more between them, something that they both wanted but were too afraid to admit.

When her phone buzzed, Fiona picked it up to see Mark had sent her a text message.

Hey Fiona, worried about you—just let me know you're okay when you have the chance.

Frustration coursed through her. Mark was truly becoming a thorn in her side, one she couldn't get rid of.

She decided to message him back, her thumbs tapping wildly over the screen:

Mark, I told you, I am working. I said we could talk when I can back. Please respect my boundaries.

The moment Fiona sent the text, her phone began ringing again, and there was Mark's name.

She pressed ignore instantly. How did this guy not understand?

"You okay?" Jake asked, looking over with concern from his bed.

Fiona's chest twisted. She wanted to tell him the truth. In all honesty, Mark was starting to freak her out. She didn't know how to handle the situation; she'd never been in it before, and it embarrassed her to admit to Jake how distressing it had gotten. She was a twenty-six-year-old woman; she had to handle herself.

"It's nothing," she said, then turned her phone onsilent.

"You sure?" Jake asked.

Fiona nodded, although anxiety coursed through her, knowing that Mark

"Well, okay," Jake said. He reached over to the bedside lamp. "Night, Red. Get some shuteye."

She hit the switch and the room filled with darkness. Fiona closed her eyes and tried to push her thoughts of Mark aside.

Tomorrow, they had more work to do, and she needed to focus on the case at hand. But as she drifted off to sleep, she couldn't help but wonder what the future held for she and Jake.

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