“Her prenatal vitamins seem to be doing the trick.”
I asked a few more questions, which Dr. Blake fielded seamlessly—I was starting to trust Dr. Martins’s assessment more and more. When I finally ran out of worries that had been clouding my mind, Dr. Blake spoke up. “Jada, you know how to contact me if you need. Make sure Bryce has my number too, just in case he goes into over-protective dad mode.” They winked at me. “I’ll see you again in two weeks.”
Once the door shut behind the doctor, Jada looked at me with an awed expression. “How do you know all of this stuff?”
My cheeks heated. “I might have read a book... or three.”
“Three?” she asked. “You found out Friday night!”
“I know but I spent most of Saturday with you, so that cut into my time.”
She shook her head at me, a small smile on her lips.
“What?” I asked, feeling like I was pinned under a microscope.
“You’re such a nerd.”
I choked out a laugh. “Really, that’s what you got out of all that?”
She twisted her lips to the side. “That’s the main thing.”
Shaking my head, I leaned in to kiss her. “I’m glad you’re in good hands. Truly.” I kissed her temple too.
“Even better now that I’m with you.”
I left the doctor’s office feeling closer to Jada than ever. In the past, work was the only place where I felt like I really belonged. But now? Jada was starting to feel like home.
But when we got in the car, I got another text from Jude.
Jude: When are you getting in? Need to talk asap.
I tapped out my reply.
Bryce: I’ll be there soon. Everything okay?
Jude: Best to discuss in person.
My stomach dropped—seemed a lot like the other shoe was ready to fall.
45.Bryce
I jammedmy finger on the elevator button, willing it to get to the top floor faster.
A million terrible possibilities went through my mind—from Simon’s death to corporate espionage to an act of Congress that would be detrimental to the company.
The company therapist would have told me to take a “deep, centering breath.”
I would have told her to fuck off.
Okay, probably not, but breathing like that felt impossible with a metaphorical anvil resting on my chest.
So, when the elevator hit the top floor, I strode toward Jude’s office, half expecting to find firemen and lifting smoke. Instead, I found Owen tapping away at his computer like everything was perfectly normal.
He gave me a nod, and when Jude saw me through the glass, he waved me in.
The door closed automatically behind me, and Jude unplugged his office phone so no one would be able to listen in.
“What’s going on?” I asked him. He never needed this level of privacy from Owen before. Was he firing his assistant? Was that the emergency?
