There was a pause before her phone buzzed again.
Maddox:“You okay?”
Jade felt something warm settle in her chest. Maddox was checking on her, the way Jade always checked on others. It felt good to be seen and supported.
Jade:“Yeah, just need some lunch and more coffee.”
Maddox:“Wish I could bring you some.”
Jade:“Still on duty?”
Maddox:“Traffic patrol just ended. Heading back to the station for a quick bite.”
Jade:“Tell Zeus I said hi.”
Maddox:“He says hi back. Also that you should visit with treats.”
Jade smiled despite the heaviness still sitting in her chest from Stacy and Leilani's sessions. She pulled out the sandwich she'd packed this morning—a turkey and avocado she made while Maddox drank coffee next to her in her kitchen.
She ate at her desk, reviewing notes for her afternoon sessions. She had two more clients today, both routine check-ins. Nothing as heavy as this morning, which was good. She needed the balance.
Her phone buzzed once more, and she leaned over to look at it.
Maddox: “Thinking about you.”
Jade's chest tightened. She typed back, “Me too.”
It wasn't enough, she knew that. They weren’t the words Maddox had said last night, the ones Jade hadn't said back, but her feelings were true.
She set her phone aside, finished her lunch, and tried to re-focus on her work.
But her mind kept circling back to last night, to Maddox's voice, rough and vulnerable:I'm falling in love with you.The way she'd looked at Jade like she'd handed her something fragile and irreplaceable.
And Jade had said that it wasn't too much or too fast. She’d held Maddox and reassured her.
But…she had let her fear win and didn’t say it back.
The afternoon sessions passed in a blur. Jade was present—she was always present with clients; that was non-negotiable—but the moment each session ended, her thoughts drifted.
She was falling in love with Maddox, and tonight, she needed to tell her.
Not because Maddox had said it first and deserved reciprocation, but because it was true and Jade was tired of being afraid of her own feelings.
She packed up her things, locked the office, and headed to her car. Once she loaded her belongings in the passenger side and settled in the driver’s seat, she pulled out her phone and saw Maddox had texted her.
Maddox: “My shift ends at 6. Dinner at your place?”
Jade: “Yes. I'll cook.”
Maddox: “You sure? I can pick something up.”
Jade: “I'm sure. See you at 6:30?”
Maddox: “See you then.”
Jade drove home with the windows down, the spring air rushing in. The sun was still high, warm on her arm through the window.
Tonight, she'd tell Maddox the truth. But first, she needed to tell her something else, something she'd carried for years and shown to no one, trusted to no one.
