Chapter Fifty-Four
Brian
I’d just gotten out of Dad’s truck after he dropped me back at Lainey’s car when I heard a familiar voice call my name.
“Brian!”
I turned to see my ex crossing Main Street like she owned it, in a black pencil skirt, pink silk blouse, and oversized sunglasses perched on her head. Her pink designer heels clicked as she jaywalked toward me.
“Fuuuck,” I muttered with an exasperated sigh.
Hadn’t the Universe screwed with me enough already?
The woman who once decided someone else had more to offer wore a bright smile that showed off her white teeth.
I forced a smile and gave a polite nod. “Sylvia.”
“I thought that was you.” Her tone was way too friendly. Normally Sylvia and I stuck to grunts and awkward smiles when we ran into each other. “You look good, considering what you’ve been through.”
My spidey senses were on high-alert, and I offered a cautious, “Thanks.”
She stepped closer, lowering her voice. “So, the rumor about you and Jade Beaumont…”
“There’s nothing going on,” I said flatly. “People see one photo and start writing their own story.”
Her smile widened. “I knew it. I told everyone there’s no way.”
Wait, why would there be ‘no way’?
Before I could ask exactly that, she looped an arm around my neck and pulled me in for a hug.
Across the street, a local reporter lifted her phone, red light blinking. I shifted, but it was too late—she’d already started recording as she walked toward us.
“Sylvia,” I said sharply, trying to peel her off me, but she clung tighter and blinked up at me, still smiling. “Guess they’ll have something new to talk about.”
“Yeah,” I said, jaw tight as I dragged a hand down my face. “They will.”
Perfect. Exactly what I don’t need right now.
The woman stopped about ten feet away. “Are you two back together?”
Sylvia’s grin didn’t falter. “Something like that.”
I saw the reporter’s phone tilt toward me, waiting for my answer. My instinct was to shut it down, to tell the truth—but I pictured Jade’s face, the questions she’d already been dragged into, the hospital gossip. I wanted it all to go away for her. Maybe this was my chance.
So, I said nothing.
Let them talk about Sylvia instead. Maybe it would pull the spotlight off Jade.
The red light on the reporter’s phone went dark as she tucked it into her bag, thanked us both, and moved on.
That’s it?
I let out an internal groan.
Fucking hell. I should have done that the day I left the hospital.
“I’m not sure if you’ve heard,” Sylvia purred as she tried to caress my arm, but I brushed her off. “Chris and I are separated.”
Like I give a damn.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t be. Maybe we could—”
I cut her off before she could finish her sentence.
“I gotta get Lainey’s car back to her.” I opened the driver’s door, threw out, “Have a good day,” then quickly slid behind the wheel and shut the door.
I didn’t need this shit today.
~~~~
I went home and spent an hour in the garage, moving boxes around I had no business lifting. By the time I made it back inside, my leg was screaming, and I was out of breath. I took a couple of ibuprofen, collapsed on the couch, and told myself exhaustion was better than thinking.
I couldn’t help replaying the flash going off outside the diner. I’d been too much of a chicken shit to see if the photo had been posted.
The next morning, I woke up to my phone ringing. It was Angus telling me that he’d received word from SLED that I’d been cleared, and he’d have written confirmation within the hour.
“I suspect you’ll have a declination letter from the Attorney General in a week.”
The declination letter was just a formality at this point, but I’d feel better having it.
“That’s good news. So, how soon can I come back to work?”
My dad chuckled. “You’re not going on patrol for a while, Son. Before I can even put you on light duty, you need to be cleared by a doctor. And if you want to go back on the street, you’re going to need the psychiatrist’s approval.”
“Okay. First things first: I’ll see when I can get in to have my staples removed, and I’ll talk to Brady then about clearing me to at least sit behind a desk.”
Although that sounded dreadful—both the staple removal (I don’t care what Jade said) and riding a desk.
Annnnd now I was thinking about Jade again. Not like that was anything new. I’d gone to bed wishing she was next to me and woke up reaching for her.
Angus interrupted my train of thought. “Are you and Sylvia back together?”
“Good Lord, no. Why?”
I could hear him sucking air through his teeth. “Then you might want to stay off social media for a while.”
I froze. “Why?”
“There’s a video of you and Sylvia outside the diner making the rounds. Somebody posted it to the Haven Springs page, and the comments are a damn circus.”
I groaned, dragging a hand over my face. “Fantastic.”
“You and Jade still good?”
I hesitated. “I don’t know.”
I was going to have to go next door and see if I could pump Lainey for information about whether Jade had seen the video yet.
Nonchalantly, of course.