WL: Can we talk?
Me: ??
When my phone rings, my hands tremble so badly that I fumble the swipe and have to call him back.
“What do you want, Kell?” His frigid tone is such a punch to my gut, I almost hang up.
I whisper,“A do-over?”
“No such thing.” His curt response slices me in half.
With nothing left to lose, I blurt out, “But I love you.”
Oh, hell.I slap my forehead and brace for the final blow.The thick silence stretches on forever.
Finally, he whooshes out his breath. “Whoa.”
That’s it? Whoa?I am never drinking again. “I’m sorry. I won’t bother you any more. The wine? Jeesh.”
Where’s a sinkhole when you need one?
His speech tone shifts, softer now. “Wait. You surprised me, but I feel the same as you, babe.”
Ohmuhgod, ohmuhgod.My brain short-circuits.I can’t remember a single word of the speech I’ve rehearsed for days. “I’m so sorry for the way we—no—for the way I left things.”
“Me too. I handled everything badly.” When his voice cracks, my heart stumbles. If I had any tears to shed, they’d be puddling on the table next to my empty bottle.
“Do you mean us, Wildlife?”
“Yes, I mean—no. Listen. I’m an FBI Agent. I shouldn’t have slept with you, and I apologize. After all you’ve gone through, I had no right to add to your trauma.”
“Hold on, mister.” I shoot out my palm as if he were standing in front of me. “I’m as much to blame, maybe more. And as for my issues, I’m seeing an online therapist. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a hot mess, but I’m working on it.”
His chuckle releases the dam holding back my tears. God, how I have missed that sound. Like the moment when Dorothy steps into Oz, my black-and-white world bursts into technicolor.
We talk all night about nothing and everything. We discuss work, family, and all the little things that make us who we are.
When dawn breaks, the knot that’s been twisting in my gut for weeks is gone. Not even tired, I take a deep breath. For the first time in forever, I’m excited about the future.
Chapter 40
Hunt
After twelve hours behind my desk, my back creaks as I push my chair back and stand. I stretch, but it does little to clear away the brain fog. With the fluorescents off, most of the offices sit empty. A few faces remain, lit blue by their monitors.
Yawning, I rub my eyes. Hell, I need a beer—better yet, a week off. Instead, I head to Wulf’s office and knock on his doorframe.
“Ready, boss?” My keys jingle in my hand while I shift on my heels.
Finally, he snaps his laptop shut before grabbing his coat. “I had no idea it was so late. Let’s go.”
In the elevator, I smirk. “Where’s your wife?”
His eyes warm the way they do whenever he talks about her. “Gwen took the kid to Florida. Gave me a hall pass for the weekend.”
As thoughts of my woman flood my head, I zone out until we arrive at the local dive. Saying hi to our coworkers, we place our orders and settle into a booth away from the crowd.
Once our drinks are served, I clear my throat. “Kelly called me last night.”
