Page 53 of Boss of Her

She glanced up from her phone and over to Simone’s desk. Simone was looking back at her with narrowed eyes.

“Did you hear a word I said?” Simone asked.

“Uh, sorry,” Jade said quietly. “I was distracted.”

Simone’s brows drew together. “Is everything all right?”

Jade nodded. “Everything’s fine.” She closed the email and set her phone on her desk, face down. “I was just reading some emails.”

Simone didn’t question her further, but her suspicion was clear in her eyes. Could she tell that Jade was lying?

But this wasn’t something Jade could share with her. She’d never told a single soul what had happened between her and Philippa. Who could she trust with a secret so shameful?

Maybe shecouldtrust Simone with her secret. Simone understood her in a way that no one else ever had, cared for her in ways that no one else did.

But that was what Jade had thought about Philippa.

She shook her head. She was letting Philippa get to her. Simone wasn’t like that. She wouldn’t use Jade the way Philippa had. She wouldn’t break Jade’s trust.

She wouldn’t shatter her heart like Philippa had.

CHAPTER 22

Jade pushed her food around on her plate. It was early in the evening, and they’d gone back to Simone’s mansion after she insisted they leave the office for a change of scenery. She’d ordered them dinner, but Jade didn’t have an appetite.

She put down her fork, eliciting an unimpressed look from Simone. “Aren’t you going to eat anything?”

Jade shrugged. “I’m not hungry.”

“Just like you weren’t at lunchtime? Don’t think I didn’t notice you skipped your lunch break. I didn’t say anything because you were clearly upset about something.”

“I have a few things on my mind, that’s all. But I can still get my job done.”

“I didn’t bring you back here to work, Jade. I brought you back here because I thought you needed a little downtime.” Simone reached across the table and put her hand on Jade’s. “And I thought we could spend some time together. We haven’t had the chance to be alone outside the office since that night at The Ashton Star.”

Jade glanced down at her plate. “I’m not really in the mood for that.”

“Not in the mood?Do you think I want…” Simone pulled her hand back. “That’snotwhat I meant. Not at all.”

“Right.” Jade shook her head. “I’m a little tired. If you don’t need me tonight, I should just go home.”

“Jade, wait. I’m worried about you. I know something is wrong. I don’t know what it is, and you don’t have to tell me, but I want to help.”

“You can’t help,” Jade said. “Not with this.”

“Perhaps, but let me try. Stay here with me tonight. Let me take care of you. It’s not going to fix whatever is going on, but it might help you feel a little better.”

Jade hesitated. No small part of her wanted to be alone, to curl up in her bed and let all the feelings she’d been holding back all day consume her.

But another part of her wanted someone by her side to tell her that everything was going to be okay.

“What do you say?” Simone asked. “Will you stay here tonight?”

Jade nodded. “I’ll stay.”

Simone got up from the table. “Wait right there while I prepare some things for you. And try to eat something.”

Simone disappeared upstairs. Jade took a few bites of her dinner, chewing and swallowing mechanically before pushing the food around on her plate. She almost didn’t notice when Simone returned.

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