Chapter 46
forty-six
MAGS
After spending all of yesterday with Jonathan, talking about anything and everything, ordering take-away, and having sex until her quivering limbs had threatened to crumble if Mags so much as tried anything more strenuous than drinking tea, she was having breakfast toast with Eze and Nasir.
Jonathan left early that morning to make up for some of the work he’d blown off the day before at her request—worth it—but not before he held her against the entryway’s wall and almost kissed her jeans back off.
They only broke apart when Eze cleared his throat. Right behind them. Jonathan laughed, completely unrepentant.
“Take care of my girl today,” Jonathan said, clapping Eze on the shoulder as he walked toward the front door.
Eze never cracked a smile, nothing new, and replied, “Nasir will do his best.”
Jonathan stopped again before opening the door. “I love you, Mags.”
“You better,” she teased. “I love you, too, babe.”
“Call me when you’re done for the day, and I’ll come pick you up.”
“You won’t be able to pick her up if you never leave.” Eze was already walking away and spoke over his shoulder.
His deadpan tone cracked Mags up. Jonathan was grinning too, giving her a loose salute before leaving.
Her lips still tingled just thinking about it.
She reached for her tea, trying to focus, but it was no use. Every time she closed her eyes, she could feel the weight of Jonathan’s hands, the warmth of him, the way he looked at her like she was the only thing that mattered.
Mags felt her cheeks flush, which appeared to have become a permanent issue when she thought of her boyfriend.
She forced her attention to her emails and smiled when she had two new potential clients inquiring about making appointments.
Mags was about to read the emails to Eze and Nasir, the latter still refusing to sit at the kitchen table with her and Eze so that he could guard them from who knows what, when Nasir’s phone rang.
Nasir grimaced at the noise. “Answer the phone, Nas,” Eze said, exasperated with his longtime friend’s complete adherence to social roles.
Mags rolled her eyes at Eze, who shook his head. Her mom called in at the same moment Nasir answered, “Mr. Barr.”
“Mom? What’s going on? Uncle Coll just called Nasir.”
“Good news, sweetheart. Coll and Thomas tracked down that crazy woman.”
“No way, that’s amazing. Mirr must be so relieved.” Her sister tried not to let on, but the woman had frightened Mirren years ago when she’d gone after several artists. Her husband, Finn, had had their family on lockdown for the past weeks.
“She is. Finn definitely is,” her mom replied. “I wanted to call you girls and let Thomas and your uncle call Eze’s guard and Jonathan.”
Mags grinned even though her mom couldn’t see. “Oh my, Thomas must have drawn the short stick.”
“Men can truly be babies,” her mom growled. “Your dad and I love Jon. The other men will come around eventually.”
“I’m not worried, Mom. I love Jon, and he loves me. Thomas and Uncle Coll will come around, and if they don’t, I’ll sic Mirren on them.”
“God help them if that happens,” her mom laughed. “I’ll let you go. I love you, Mags. Have a great day.”
Once they were both off the phone, Mags glanced at the security guard who was back guarding the room from would-be intruders. “Poor Nasir won’t know what to do with his days now that he doesn’t have to follow me around,” Mags teased.
Nasir pretended to ignore her, but she saw his eyes surreptitiously roll. Before she could tease the man further her phone vibrated. A text from Jonathan.
Jonathan: MacGregor called. I’m so relieved, babe.
Mags: I know! So happy for my sister. That crazy woman needs to be locked away again. I can’t wait to hear the story of how she got out in the first place.
Jonathan: MacGregor said he would keep us informed. Which means the grouchy bastard will tell Dad, and Dad will call me.
Mags: I’d better get ready. The more work I get done today the sooner you can wine and dine me later.
She couldn’t quite hide the flinch that tightened her mouth.
She did need to get to work—but there was a stop to make first. One Jonathan didn’t know about.
The thought sat uneasily in her chest. She hated keeping things from him, hated the idea of even a small deception between them. But if he knew she was meeting Rory for coffee before heading to the gallery, it would turn into something bigger than it needed to be.
He’d be upset. Protective. Maybe even try to stop her.
And that…wasn’t something she would accept.
Rory deserved an apology. From her. Especially after what he’d confessed.
It hadn’t been fair to leave things as they were—not after nearly three years together.
She might never have loved him the way he’d wanted, the way she loved Jonathan, but she had cared.
Deeply enough that walking away without closure felt wrong.
Still, the secrecy bothered her.
If she’d told Jonathan, he would have insisted on being there—or worse, tried to forbid it altogether. Neither option sat well with her. This was something she needed to do on her own.
Even if it meant facing the consequences later.
Jonathan: Love you, babe. You realize that with that woman being found, you don’t have to live with Eze anymore.
Mags: Mentally packing my bags now. Daniel better find a two-bedroom for him and Blair. See you later!
She sighed as she set her phone on the table next to her abandoned toast, catching Eze giving her a disapproving look.
“You shouldn’t keep secrets.”
She leaned her head back in frustration. “Ugh, why did I tell you? You keep plenty of secrets,” she replied with snark.
Eze merely raised his supercilious brows. “Not from those I love.” He glanced over his shoulder at Nasir, who for one moment looked as though Eze had handed him the whole world with those five words.
Mags huffed in irritation, knowing he was right. “Fine. I’ll tell Jon tonight over drinks. He can’t be mad at something that’s already done and dusted.” Eze didn’t bother to look up from the equation he was diligently working on. A clear sign of censure.
Mags stood and gathered her breakfast things and moved to the kitchen, ignoring Eze’s continuing disapproval.
“I’ll miss you today, Nasir, but I’m glad they found the woman.” After rinsing her mug, she hoisted her heavy tote lounging like a fat cat on the counter and headed out. “Behave today, boys,” she teased, tapping Nasir’s back on the way out. The stoic bodyguard’s choked cough made her smile.
“Thank you for meeting me, Rory,” Mags said while giving her ex an awkward side hug.
Mags arrived a few minutes early and already had coffee and scones waiting on a small two-person table. Her nerves had kicked in on the walk to the bakery, cursing Eze for making her doubt the merit of her plan.
She would be so pissed if Jonathan met an ex-girlfriend without telling her first, and even though she had nothing but good intentions, she’d finally come to the conclusion that she wasn’t being fair to Jonathan. She would definitely call him the moment she left the bakery and ask for forgiveness.
“I’m glad you reached out,” Rory said solemnly.
“I was happy to. I’ve already got our coffee and a bite. I hope you don’t mind.”
“You always know what I like best.”
Regrets, thy name is Margaret.
For his part, Rory smiled warmly and hugged her to his chest. If the embrace lasted a pinch too long, she chose to swallow the familiarity and invited him to sit.
Once they’d taken a sip of their coffee, Rory watched her silently, his lips thinning in discomfort. Mags rubbed her palms over her jeans, cursing herself for the awkward situation she was currently regretting.
“I won’t keep you long. I’m sure you have a busy day, as do I.” She inwardly grimaced at how stilted she sounded. “Because of our long…friendship, I wanted to personally apologize for what happened at the Chamber event.”
He took her by surprise when he covered her hand that was resting on the table by her scone. She tensed and immediately pulled back and placed it back in her lap.
He looked hurt but apologized. “Damn it. I’m sorry. It’s just…fuck, Maggie, I thought…I thought we were bound for more.”
“I’m sorry you felt that way. I’m sorry that you were blindsided. Rory, I—”
“Don’t say you’re sorry again. I should have told you how I felt. I should have made sure you knew that you had another option besides…” he stopped speaking, his jaw clenched.
His anger was understandable. Jonathan had really taken a bad moment and made it one hundred times worse. Still, she’d been transparent with Rory before sleeping with him the very first time, and she’d been quite a bit younger and much more na?ve than she was now.
“There was never, never,” she emphasized, “another option. Not for me.”
He looked like he’d been punched, and Mags felt terrible for hurting him again but not for speaking the truth.
Rory turned his attention to the foot traffic outside the bakery’s bay window. She let Rory get his emotions back under control before she spoke.
“Rory,” she began, gently tapping the top of his hand that was clenching his coffee with two creams and one sugar, “I have always and will always consider you a close friend. If I hadn’t already loved…if I hadn’t…damn, Ro, I might—”
“Stop, Maggie. Don’t try to make me feel better. This,” he gestured between the two of them, “won’t break me, it just fucking sucks right now. And Jon is an asshole who doesn’t deserve you.”
His attempt at a smirk made her smile. A little.
“He wasn’t at his best, I admit, but in his defense, I never told him who you were, and he was caught off guard. Jon can be a bit over—”
“Bearing,” Rory finished.
“Overprotective, but both are probably true. He is an—”
“O’Faolain.”
“Most definitely.” Mags smiled sadly at Rory and got to her feet. “I need to get to work, and I imagine you do too. I hope you find the one woman you can’t live without. I would love to meet her.”