“Uh-huh.” His eyes took on a teasing glint. “Hey, I’m starting to feel a little jealous of your attention being on Tanner rather than me.”
I grinned. “Don’t worry, I was just wondering if you guys are friends.”
“Nah. I mean, we might have chatted once or twice at a few events, but that’s about it.”
“Good. Good.”
He gave me a raised-eyebrow look.
“I mean… never mind.” I was relieved he had nothing to do with anything shady. Lincoln had already warned me a million times about protecting his client’s image. Things were tense enough between us, so why rock the boat?
“How was your workout?” I asked. “How often do you do this a week? Is it always a team session?”
He chuckled, and I gave him a sheepish grin. “Sorry. One at a time.”
“Cool. First, I need to get out of these sweaty clothes.”
He answered my questions as we walked to the showers. Outside the door, he asked, “Are you going to shadow me in there, too?” He slicked back his dreads and then folded his arms. “Because I wouldn’t mind.”
I rolled my eyes. “You wish. I’ll see you when you get out.”
He smirked and disappeared inside.
As I waited, I tried to forget what I’d seen in the parking lot, just as I had the rumors of drug use at Jaden’s house party. Should I ask him about those rumors? The image of Lincoln, with his suspicious squint, popped into my mind.
No. It was best I steer clear.
“Mind the business that pays you, Ava,” I whispered. Right now, that was Jaden’s feature. However, my journalist brain refused to leave well enough alone. I couldn’t shake what I’d seen in the parking lot.
8
LINCOLN
The faint echo of laughter reached me outside as I jogged up the steps of Jaden’s house. The closer I got, I could hear the distinct sounds of female and male pitches. The woman had to be Ava. She was scheduled to meet up with Jaden this morning, and from what I'd seen so far, she was quite the early bird. So was I.
It was barely seven, and I wasn’t supposed to come until eight. But when your client was a twenty-year-old with a short attention span and a calendar full of practices, endorsement deals, and contracts, you showed up early to keep him on track.
I let myself in with the key Jaden insisted I keep. My younger clients did that often. It was like they took me for a substitute dad or something. Not that I minded it. Another laugh rang out. The airy giggle made my steps falter.
The sound of Ava’s laughter was permanently etched into my mind. I’d always loved the sound of it. It had a contagious quality. In my current world of fake laughter and fake everything else, it was refreshing to hear that unpolished, genuine sound that made you smile even when you weren’t in on the joke.
I had to take a deep breath before I went into the kitchen, where the sound filtered from. Every time I heard her voice,I was hurled back into the past. When I turned the corner, I paused.
Jaden stood, leaning on the island beside Ava. He chatted animatedly. Ava sat on a stool, holding a mug between her hands. My gaze dropped. She was barefoot with one curled under her as if she were in her own kitchen. Her full attention was on Jaden. They both threw their heads back and cackled about something he said. I didn’t hear because I was too busy being disturbed by how comfortable they seemed with each other.
I blinked and realized that I was—dear God—jealous. My jaw clenched so tightly I thought I might crack a molar. The two were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn’t realize I was there. Finally, Ava glanced in my direction.
In the blink of an eye, her entire demeanour changed. Her smile vanished, her shoulders hiked up, and even her toes curled. You’d think I was a dark, ugly cloud coming to rain on her happy parade.
Jaden followed her gaze. At least, the mere sight of me didn’t suck away his happiness. His grin stayed intact. “Linc! My man!”
For once, I didn’t smile at his enthusiastic greeting. I was still wallowing in the ridiculous wave of jealousy that had swamped me out of nowhere. Why was Ava so comfortable in Jaden's home?
My sour mood finally put a damper on Jaden’s happiness. His smile dimmed an iota of a megawatt. “You good, Lincoln?” he asked with uncertainty.
I shook off whatever came over me. “Yeah. I’m fine, just tired.”
He didn’t question me. “I told you, you work too hard. You need to relax, man.”
