23
Jake
There were a few messages on my phone as I stepped into the locker room at the end of the day. One of them was from Isaac, and for a moment, I wondered how he’d gotten my number. I hadn’t given it to him, so he must have convinced Brad to hand it over somehow.
Heading to Charleston in a couple weeks. Possible rental for the weekend with Hunter (the guy from the club). Brad says you’re off. Wanna go?
I caught myself frowning. A few months ago, I would have jumped at a chance for a weekend away. Hell, before Beckett had reconnected with Preston, I’d frequently tagged along with him whenever he went out of town for his PI jobs, just for something to do. But something felt wrong about going this time, and I knew a large part of it was because it had beenIsaacwho invited me. It wasn’t that I didn’t like him; I did. I enjoyed his company, a lot actually. But Isaac would make it clear he was open to fucking, and I just… wasn’t. I had no interest in him anymore or anyone else for that matter. The sexy, dark-haired soccer player was the only one I wanted to share my bed with now.
I wasn’t sure how to reply to Isaac, so I ignored his message and switched to the text from Rey.Slight change in plans… I hope it’s okay. I need to watch Harris for a few hours after practice.
I tried not to feel disappointed as I wrote back,It’s okay.
I’d just shoved my vest into my locker when I heard another text come in.I can come over after, if that works?
I stared at the screen a minute, confused.After?He wasn’t going to come over until he was done? I’d still rather see him with the squirt than not see him at all.
“Everything okay?” Benson asked, tossing a shirt into his locker and watching me with a curious expression. He looked just as tired as I felt. It had been a hell of a day. Nothing specific, just endless calls pulling us in too many directions.
“Yeah.”
His dark eyes narrowed into slits. “You sure?”
“I’m fine.”
He cleared his throat, hanging his vest up in the locker. “You know, I just wanted to say I’ve noticed you’ve been tense lately. You were settling in just fine before the murder a couple weeks ago, but since then, you’ve been… I don’t know, off.”
I was surprised not only that he’d noticed, but by how much he seemed to care. “Yeah. I really am fine. Just got some personal stuff going on too. You know how it is. It can be hard to juggle the stress of this job with everyday life.”
He paused, looking directly at me. “What happened that night might not have been as bad as what you’re used to back in Atlanta, but around here, that wasn’t just another ‘stressful day’ in the office. All of us were shaken by it, Jake. Do you have someone to talk to? Brenda’s a great listener if you need one.”
“So everyone keeps telling me,” I said with a smile. “But I don’t need a psychiatrist. I think I just need a few days off with some beer and lots of sex.”
Benson chuckled. “I hear that. Do you at least have someone to talk to?”
“Yeah, I do,” I said, hoping my voice didn’t betray me. I didn’t reallyhaveRey. I knew he would prefer it that way, but that was exactly the kind of shit I was tryingnotto put on his shoulders. Rey didn’t deserve to carry the burden of that night, and I shouldn’t expect him to.
Benson clapped a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “Okay. Well, you can always call me if you need to. See you tomorrow, Jake.”
“Yeah. See ya, Ben.”
I closed my locker and pulled my hoodie on. On my way out of the building, I called Rey, since his text was still bothering me.
He answered on the third ring. “Hey.”
“Hey. What did you mean after? Why after?”
He paused. “Beeecause I have Harrison with me?” he said, drawing it out. “His dad had to be somewhere, so I’m watching him for a while.”
“So? Bring him. Kids like burgers too, right? I can make an extra.”
I heard Harrison in the background and half wondered what the hell I was doing.
“You sure?”
“Yeah. We can… I don’t know, put on a movie or something.”
He chuckled. “TVs aren’t babysitters, babe.”
