The unexpected compliment catches me off guard. "Appearances can be deceiving," I say.
"Preach!" She tips her head, watching me. "So... why did you leave military life?"
I blink. "What?"
"The military," she clarifies. "You don't seem like the type to quit unless something pushes you."
I exhale. "Yeah. Something did."
I look down at my mug. "My marriage didn't survive the job. Being gone half the year, and emotionally MIA the other half... not great for relationships."
She doesn't say anything, just watches me.
"Also, it didn't help that she was cheating on me with my commanding officer. So, it wasn't all military she objected to. Just me, I guess."
"Emotional damage!" She says with a funny expression while I look at her puzzled and amused.
"It's a TikTok thing... You know... Emotional Damage!" She repeats, blushing.
"No, I don't know," I respond, laughing.
"Well..." She starts slightly, "It's a thing young people say. You older people wouldn't know about it."
"Hey, I'm not that old. I'm 36!" I say with feigned indignation, noticingthe amusement dancing in her eyes.
She composes herself and changes the subject. "Is that why you started this company?"
"Partly. I'd already been considering leaving. The betrayal just accelerated things. Declan and I had talked about it for years. Mateo joined us later."
"You're more like family than coworkers."
"We've been through a lot. You learn quickly who you can trust with your life."
We fall into silence. For once, it's not heavy. It's... comfortable.
Then she asks, almost in a whisper, "Do you think they'll try again? Whoever attacked me?"
I want to say no. But I don't lie.
"I don't know. But we'll be ready. We won't let anything happen to you."
She nods, gaze dropping to her mug. "Because it's your job..."
Her lashes are too long. Her posture too weary. I want to reach out. I want to touch her. I don't.
I hesitate. It is a job. But...
"You should try to get some sleep," I say softly. I stand, offermy hand. "Let me walk you to your room."
She doesn't argue. We walk in silence. At her door, she pauses.
"Thank you," she says. "For the drink. The talk. For... trying to see me."
That one sentence hits harder than it should. Like she just handed me something fragile and dared me not to drop it.
Without thinking, I brush a loose strand of hair from her cheek. Her cheek brushes against my hand, warm and soft. The sound she makes, barely a breath, goes straight to my gut. Something primal stirs. Something dangerous. She leans into the touch. For one heartbeat. And for one heartbeat, I lean in too...
Then I step back. "Jade," I murmur. "We shouldn't."
