Before I can press further, a knock at the door interrupts the moment. Henry looks toward it, then back at me, hisexpression soft but apologetic. “Can you grab that? It’s probably Knox. He always seems to show up when I’m cooking.”
I nod, swallowing an unsettling feeling forming in my stomach. I make my way toward the door, and as I open it, my heart plummets. Standing in front of me isn’t Knox. It’s someone I don’t know.
There’s a woman filling up the doorway, and she is tall and impeccably dressed. She reeks of confidence that immediately sets me on edge. Her light brunette hair is pulled back into a sleek ponytail, and her heels click loudly against the floor as she steps into the doorway. Her gaze locks onto mine, calm and calculating.
“I’m Jenn,” she says smoothly, her voice businesslike. “Is Henry here?”
CHAPTER 23
The name lands like a punch to the gut. Jenn—his agent. His ex.
I clear my throat, gripping the doorknob to steady myself. "Uh, yeah. He's in the kitchen."
She steps past me without hesitation, her eyes briefly moving down my body, which is wrapped in Henry's shirt. Her lips twist into a grimace before snapping back into a straight, unbothered line.
She moves through the space like she belongs here. Like she's been here a million times before. My chest aches as I tip-toe behind her.
"Henry," Jenn calls as she enters the kitchen. Henry turns, and when he sees her, his expression shifts. He looks surprised at first, followed by an expression I can't read.
His gaze doesn't stay on her for long until it floats back to me standing in the doorway. Like magic, his eyes shift from two pools of chaos to a softness reserved for me. His chest rises and falls as he tugs a nearby shirt on his naked chest.
"Hi, Jenn," he says casually. "I wasn't expecting you. I didn't even think you knew where I lived."
"It's a small town. You were easy enough to find," she says,looking down at her fingers curled in her hand. "I had no choice, Henry. You sent me an ominous email about quitting and wouldn't answer any of my calls. But now I think I know why." Her eyes snap to me briefly before refocusing on him.
Henry exhales while rubbing the back of his neck. His eyes dart between Jenn and me like he's searching for an escape route. He looks small and uncomfortable for the first time since I met him.
When his eyes connect with mine, I give him a gentle smile. I regret it almost immediately when he says, "Emma. Can you give us a minute?"
His words are soft and gentle, but it doesn't cushion the blow. My throat tightens, and I feel the floor tilt under me. I open my mouth to object, but nothing comes out. I know it's not an unreasonable request, but it feels like a door slamming in my face.
I force a nod and swallow thickly. "Sure."
Henry's expression softens, but it doesn't change that he's asking me to leave. It doesn't change that she is here, and I'm suddenly in the way.
Instead of retreating to my apartment downstairs, I throw on my clothes from last night and quietly slip out the front door. The cool morning air hits me like a slap, and I inhale sharply, blinking back the sting in my eyes.
The numb feeling in my body takes control of my feet and pushes me toward my car. I don't want to go home, so I pull out of the driveway and head toward town.
My mind spins with all the things I don't know and all the things I don't want to know. Before I know where I'm escaping, a familiar apartment building fills my vision. My legs carry me to Wren's front door, desperate for the grounding presence of my person.
I knock quickly, praying that she's home. I let out a silent curse word when a tall man I've known since elementary school opens the door instead.
"Blake," I say breathlessly, trying to control the shakiness of my voice.
"Hey, Emma." Blake's brow furrows as he takes me in: rumpled clothes, ratty hair, and the blotchiness of almost tears coating my face. "Are you okay?"
"Is Wren here?" I ask quickly, ignoring the knot in my throat.
"Yeah, she's?—"
"Who's at the door?" Wren's voice calls from somewhere inside, and a moment later, she appears behind Blake, a coffee mug in hand and her hair in a messy bun. The second she sees me, her expression shifts.
"Em?" She pushes past Blake, and her concern wraps around me like a much-needed blanket. "What happened?"
I shake my head, biting the inside of my cheek to keep the tears at bay. "Can I come in?"
"Of course," Wren says, pulling me inside and shooting Blake a quick look. "Honey, can you grab some croissants from the coffee shop on the corner?" Blake nods and disappears out the door without another word.
