“Good night, Jace,” he said at last.
My chest tightened around my answer.
“Good night, Coach.”
The call ended.
I lay in the dark, staring at the ceiling, body loose and mind quieter than it had been all day.
Then the quiet made room for the terrifying part.
Not the sex. Not the rules. Not the dinner waiting tomorrow or the lies already told.
The terrifying part was simpler.
I looked forward to hearing his voice.
And that was a much bigger problem.
Chapter 23
Chapter 23
JACE
Vanessa picked the restaurant.
Of course she did.
Not because she needed to control everything. Vanessa understood presentation. She knew which restaurants photographed well without looking desperate for attention. Which booths gave privacy without making it obvious you wanted privacy. Which servers were discreet, which managers cared more about regulars than gossip, which lighting softened every angle.
She understood a room the way I understood open ice.
I used to admire that about her.
Tonight, walking through the front door felt like stepping into a scene neither of us wanted to film anymore.
She was already at the table.
Cream sweater. Gold hoops. Hair smooth enough to survive weather, wind, and emotional devastation. A glass of water sat untouched in front of her. Her posture was perfect. Her face wasn’t.
“You’re on time,” she said.
Fair shot.
“Yeah.”
I sat across from her and immediately noticed the fork beside my plate was crooked. I moved it a quarter inch. Then it lookedtoo placed, too deliberate, so I moved it back. My fingers wanted the knife next. Then the napkin. Then the water glass with the condensation ring that wasn’t centered on the coaster.
I forced both hands into my lap and held them there.
Vanessa noticed.
She always noticed more than people thought.
The server appeared with menus and the kind of smile that said he knew who I was but had been trained not to act like it. Vanessa ordered sparkling water. I said I’d have the same because wine would make my head worse, and my head was already a room full of alarms going off in different languages.
When we were alone again, Vanessa didn’t open her menu.
