Page 119 of His Reckoning

Melissa’s grin widens. “Okay, now I know something happened.”

I open my mouth to argue, but close it immediately after because, apparently, my face has decided to betray me today.

Melissa laughs harder. “Oh, this is incredible.”

“What’s incredible?”

“You’ve finally met your match.”

I groan and drag a hand over my face. “He’s impossible to deal with.”

“Sure,” Melissa says calmly. “But he threw you completely off-balance.”

She takes another sip of her coffee. “And honestly?” She smiles at me. “It was only a matter of time.”

I stare at her. “You are supposed to be on my side.”

“I am on your side,” she says easily. “But I’ve also watched you for ten years.” She gestures toward me with her pastry. ““You never lose composure.”

“I’m not losing composure.”

“You’re pacing. You’re defensive. And every time I say Sawyer’s name, your eye twitches.”

“My eye does not twitch.”

She smiles. “It did.”

I sink down onto one of the stools at the kitchen island and rest my forehead against the cool marble. “This is a nightmare.”

Melissa pulls out the stool next to me and sits. “So, tell me what happened.”

I lift my head just enough to glare at her. “You’re not going to laugh?”

She pauses. “I’m going to try not to.”

“That’s not reassuring.”

“Kayla.”

I exhale slowly as I prepare to tell her. Not every detail—absolutely not every detail—but enough.

About Sawyer insisting he was the reason my writing came back and him refusing to drop it. The ridiculous “experiment” that I am now calling it.

I tell her about it all. Melissa listens quietly, which is suspicious because, usually, by now, she would have interrupted me at least three times.

When I finish, she leans back slightly and studies me.

“Well,” she says finally, “that explains a lot.”

“Explains what?”

“Why you look like someone who just ran a marathon.”

I groan. “You’re enjoying this.”

“A little,” she admits. Her expression softens. “But mostly, I think this is good for you.”

I blink at her. “Good for me?”