“How long are you going for?”
“I thought five to seven days. There’s nothing urgent that can’t survive without me, apart from the new project.”
Jaxson wants to schedule a time to run through the brief, but I don’t have the energy or brainpower to meet with him right now.
Pen takes a mouthful of food, closing her eyes as she chews.
“Yum,” she says, swallowing before opening her eyes and catching mine in her gaze.
“Why do you dislike Jax so much?” she asks suddenly. “I saw your face at Eli’s.”
I look down at my plate, pushing the food around with my fork.
“Did you think Jax was Lottie’s dad?”
Her question comes out of the blue, leaving me reeling.
“I suspected he might be,” I admit honestly.
Pleased she made that connection and not another.
Pen squints at me, as if trying to read my mind.
“But it’s more than that,” she says slowly.
The look on Pen’s face lets me know she’s not going to let this drop. I inhale a shuddery breath.
Sixteen years I’ve held my secret, kept Jaxson Lockwood at arm’s length.
Pen continues to stare at me.
“You’re not going to drop it, are you?” I say, already knowing the answer.
“Not when I can see what all this is doing to you,” she says. “I wouldn’t be much of a friend if I did.”
I look down at the table and push my salad from side to side.
“Come on, Kat. This is me you’re talking to. You’ve lost weight and are sitting here playing with your food. Not to mention the dark circles under your eyes, which tells me you aren’t sleeping. You’re my best friend, woman.” There’s pain in her voice. “Let me be there for you, like you were for me.”
I run a hand down my face, my hand gripping my pendant.
“Jax and me—” as soon as the words leave my mouth, I realise I’ve given too much away.
“What do you mean, Jax and you? What am I missing, or more rightly,what didI miss?” Her eyes widen as her fingers spread out over her breastbone.
I squeeze my pendant, enjoying its bite against my skin. I chuckle.
“Hard to believe, huh? The stud and?—”
She cuts me off with a grunt.
“Not hard to believe, no. Very bloody obvious, now I think back. I just can’t believe I missed it,” She does a double take, her eyes scanning my face. “You two were thick as thieves one moment, and then…” A furrow appears between her brows. “Did he hurt you? If he did—” By the time she has finished her monologue, she is practically growling.
“No, Jax didn’t hurt me. Only my pride,” I say.
He simply stamped all over my heart.
I don’t say that aloud, although my heartbeat slows momentarily at the memory.
