‘Is this you trying to make me feel better?’
‘Plus, he seems like a really decent guy.’
‘He is.’
‘How’s Hannah?’
‘Remorseful. She said to tell you she’s sorry for hijacking our night. Admitted she was jealous. I’ve set her straight, again, about my feelings.’
‘Which are?’
‘Purely platonic.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘One hundred percent.’
‘You guys have a lot of history.’
‘We do.’
‘You told me she kissed you.’
‘She did. Once. But she knows it can’t happen again.’
‘That’s not how it comes across when she’s around you. She’s very… territorial.’
‘I know.’
‘And you’re very protective of her.’
He took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly. ‘I am.’
I stood up. ‘I’m going to head home. I just wanted to check in on you.’
He reached out a hand and lightly clasped my wrist. ‘Do you have to go?’
My breath caught in my throat when he touched me. ‘I think it’s for the best. You guys need to figure out whatever’s going on between you two, before you start dragging other people into it.’
‘I don’t remember dragging you anywhere.’
‘You know what I mean.’
‘Don’t go.’
‘Goodnight, Jack.’
‘Alex was my partner,’ he blurted. ‘In the police force.’
I froze, letting the words sink in. ‘You’re a cop?’
He nodded. His face was pained, as if even uttering the words dredged up horrible memories for him. ‘I was. Feels like a lifetime ago now.’
‘You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.’
‘I want to.’ He patted the seat beside him. ‘Please? I always knew I wanted to be a cop,’ he said, when I was seated beside him again. ‘I joined the police academy as soon as I turned twenty, and that’s where I met Alex. We hit it off straight away. I never had a brother, but he felt like one. Same world views, same sense of humor. We very rarely argued, and if we did it was over stupid stuff, like what we were going to eat for lunch while on shift. We met Hannah and some of her friends at a bar one night. Her friend’s drink had been spiked; we were sent to make inquiries.’ He sighed heavily. ‘We both liked Hannah at first, but Alex was the one who caught her attention. I didn’t blame her. He was larger than life, like a blond Viking. Muscles for Africa. The kind of smile that made woman fall all over him. Seriously, he was stupidly good-looking.’
‘Have you looked in a mirror lately?’
