I press my lips together, trying to get a grip, but the thought lingers anyway.
Matthew really messed with my head didn’t he?
“Seriously,” he continues. “You’re kind of saving us here. Don’t ever think you’re anything less than our hero. And… I’m sorry if I made it weird.”
Okay.
No.
Absolutely not.
The fuzzy feeling needs to leave right now.
I clear my throat, focusing very hard on the papers in front of me.
Because this should be simple.
He’s supposed to be the stereotypical athlete. Straightforward, maybe a little clueless, easy to categorize.
Except he’s not.
Not even close.
“Listen. About Wednesday,” he starts, then clears his throat.Again. “Are you really okay with picking Livy up from school? You don’t have to, I know we just tell that to the judge, that you want to care for her and stuff. You don’t have to do it in real life. I will find someone who can. Maybe Liora. She and Riley helped me a lot before and she has to watch out for Rory, maybe she is willing to?—”
“No, it’s more than okay,” I say, looking up from the documents I haven’t even read once since he’s been sitting next to me. “I can pick Livy up from school. What time?”
“Three-thirty. But are you sure? I know you have your own cases, and this is already way beyond what I’m paying you for.” His dark brow furrows.
“It’s fine, really,” I interrupt, surprising myself with how much I mean it. “I don’t mind, and this way the people out there will think our marriage is real. We need that.”
He studies me with those penetrating eyes, like he’s trying to solve a puzzle. “Why?”
It’s a fair question. Why would I, Jenna Davis—the Iron Lady who charges hundreds an hour and keeps even colleagues at an arm’s length—volunteer to play school pickup for the daughter of a man who made my teenage years miserable? I set the paper down, buying time to form an answer that won’t reveal too much. But what comes out is rawer than I wanted it to be.
“Honestly? It gives me something to focus on besides my own mess right now. Breaking up with someone after years together, moving out of our shared apartment... it’s been a lot. And Livy is—” I hesitate, searching for the right words. “She’s a good kid. Being around her feels right in a way that drafting motionsfor millionaires fighting over vacation homes doesn’t. I already worked my way up, you know. I am where I want to be work wise. I don’t need to prove myself anymore and maybe starting to get a life, to change my life… maybe this is what I need. This is the perfect opportunity to try something new.”
Colton smiles at me. A real smile with teeth and all.
And that’s it. That’s the end of me, apparently.
I shift back in my chair a little too fast, and it scrapes loudly across the marble floor. Great. Subtle.
“But what I don’t quite get is… you work late all the time. How are you supposed to take care of Livy and… do all of this?” Colton nods at my paperwork.
“I already talked to Ben,” I say, trying to sound like I didn’t just almost embarrass myself into another dimension. “Your case and the fact that we’re apparently all over the news is helping the firm a lot. We’ve never had this many clients.”
He frowns slightly.
“I’m only working on your case right now,” I add. “Once things calm down, I’ll take on more again. But for now… it’s fine.”
It still feels strange, saying it out loud.
I’m used to having too much on my plate. Too many cases. Too many hours. Work bleeding into everything until there’s no space left for anything else.
I never questioned it.
What else was I supposed to do? There wasn’t anything waiting for me at home. Being busy meant not thinking. Not noticing how quiet everything else was.
