“Like you’re waiting for me to fall apart.”
“I’m not.” His voice was low. Controlled. “I’m waiting to see if you’re going to ask for help before you do.”
Goddamn it.
My throat went tight. Just for a second.
That wasn’t fair. That wastoo close.
“I don’t fall apart, Jay.”
“No,” he said softly. “But you mightimplode.”
That hit harder than I could have imagined.
I looked away before he could see whatever flickered across my face. My skin felt too thin. My control was too brittle. His presence—his scent—too loud in the air between us.
“You should get back to the team,” I said, turning slightly, putting a few inches of distance between us. “We’ve got enough mess on our hands without adding another headline.”
“I’ll walk you out.”
It wasn’t a question.
For once, I didn’t argue.
My rapid decline seemed to be spiraling faster and faster with each passing moment. The heat under my skin was starting to boil. And I didn’t know how many more minutes I had before it started showing in more dangerous ways.
I was glad I’d packed up before Marchand summoned me to the ice. My laptop, files, tablet—everything was already stashed in the back seat of my car, zipped away in a sleek black bag I could pretend meant I had plans to work from home or wherever.
I didn’t.
Not tonight.
Not tomorrow either, probably.
Maybe not for a few days.
But the illusion mattered, even if it was just for myself. I kept the keys tight in my hand and let the echo of my heels against the parking structure floor be the only sound I focused on.
Jay walked beside me, silent.
He always seemed to know when not to talk.
Still, I caught him watching me from the corner of his eye. His hands were in his pockets, but his shoulders were set just slightly tighter than usual. He was thinking. Calculating. The way he did before big games or before Roan lost his temper or Rhett did something reckless.
I almost asked what he was trying to solve.
Instead, he spoke first.
“So,” he said mildly, “days off, huh?”
I arched a brow but didn’t look over. “That’s what the calendar says.”
“Planning something exciting?”
“A three-day nap, maybe.”
“Wild.”
