Now, he was acting as if Sylvie were his. Yes, in his mind and his heart, she was and always would be, and the last night they were together cemented that. He’d never known a woman to be so bold and yet so trusting, and he’d bared his soul to her in return. Just the thought of anyone hurting her enraged him.
Especially when it was him doing the hurting.
He pounded his kitchen table, making both Mac and Champ look up, heads tilted.
“As you were, guys. Dad’s an idiot, that’s all,” he told them. Sylvie hadn’t texted or IM’ed him all day yesterday and he could hardly blame her. He’d told himself it was because she was at work and busy, but of course she was giving him the cold shoulder and he deserved it. Last night was torture without her.
Why should I expect her to trust me when I go and act like an overbearing dumbass?It was just that she brought out the protector inside him like no one else. He resolved to make it up to her today. He knew she had the day off, so he decided he’d take some personal time, text her with an apology, and suggest they meet up in the mountains away from prying eyes.
He turned back to his laptop to check his email and send off a message that he wouldn’t be in today. He opened his email and a new message appeared from the Boulder K9 Unit with the heading:Change in Personnel.
Hey, maybe they found the money for that extra position for Frank after all. Alex opened the email and as he read he grew more confused. It was a letter welcoming Office Frank Morris to the K9 Unit, and only Frank. No mention of a second position or more importantly, of Sylvie.
Did they change their minds? Did she withdraw from the program? Or…Oh no, did they find out?
“Fuck.” He grabbed his phone and hit Sylvie’s contact.
“Alex.” There was so much weight in her voice he was surprised it didn’t turn his phone into a two-ton lead brick.
“Babe, please talk to me. What’s going on? No, wait,” He held up his hand as if she could see it—dumbass—“let me apologize for yesterday first. I’m sorry that we fought and that I behaved like a child and ghosted you.”
He listened as she took in a breath. “Thank you. I wasn’t sure if you were mad or what, so I was giving you space.”
“I was, but I’m mad at myself, mad at our situation, and I’m sorry that I directed that at you. You in no way deserved that.”
“And I’m sorry that I overreacted at breakfast.” She paused. “I realize now that you were looking out for me, and I shouldn’t have immediately jumped into cop-mode. Sometimes, I forget to take off the jaded glasses when I’m looking at someone I care about. And, I have a hard time remembering that I have backup.”
Alex smiled, feeling his heart warming up. “You do with me, baby. Always. But hey, I got an email from Boulder—”
“Oh,shit,” she said, cutting him off. “I didn’t think they’d move that fast. I wanted to tell you first, I swear I did. But then yesterday turned a little crazy.” She heaved a sigh that sounded like it came from her toes. “As you can see, I withdrew from the program.”
All the warmth in Alex’s heart turned ice-cold. “Sylvie, did they find out? About us?”
“It’s…complicated.”
Alex started to demand to know what exactly that meant, then stopped himself.Fuck. He didn’t want to push her again and run the risk of pushing her away.
“Well,” Sylvie went on, her voice full of false cheer, “the upside is that we don’t have to sneak around anymore.”
“Baby, you don’t have to pretend with me that you’re okay with this. Fuck. I fucked up.”
“No, Alex, this is exactly how Idon’twant you to react. It’s all right, I promise.”
“Goddamn it, Sylvie. God-fucking-damn it! It is not all right.” He stopped and got himself under control. “Sorry. You don’t need me snapping at you.” He grabbed the edge of the table to stop himself from hitting it again. “You have the day off, correct?”
“I…do. But I was thinking of going in and catching up on some paperwork.”
Shit. “Okay. But I was thinking that I’d take today off and we could get away up into the mountains. But, I guess we could go anywhere since we don’t have to hide anymore.”
“So, you’d actually take the day off just to spend it with me?”
He hated how tentative her voice sounded, so unlike her. “Jesus, Sylvie,yes. I…care about you. I want to make sure you’re okay, and I miss you. Even one day, one night, without seeing or talking to you is too long.”
He listened to her swift intake of breath. “How about I swing by to pick you up when I’m finished?”
Alex grinned. “In your bitchin’ Mustang?”
She laughed lightly. “Yeah, in my bitchin’ Mustang.”
