and all that touching and smiling at the charity event. I knew it, but the dream had been too much. Feeling so good about something, feeling so happy and then having that feeling just be a lie? The moment I’d woken up, I had felt the physical loss of him intensely.
Saturday night had ended as soon as we got back to the apartment. Jack had disappeared into his study or office or whatever the hell he called that place, our car ride having been just as uneventful. He hadn’t mentioned the kiss or seeing Jodi and Bryan and Joshua. And I…instead of sitting down and trying to process the fact that Joshua was now with my cousin and maybe—probably—had left me for her, I had been stuck on the kiss I had shared with Jack. Joshua hadn’t occupied my mind for more than a few fleeting minutes.
It had been all Jack.
Sunday morning when I woke up, thinking maybe we could have breakfast together since I wasn’t opening the coffee shop, I’d looked for him. I even went as far as knocking on his door and going into his room, only to find him already gone. If someone asked, I wouldn’t admit it, but I had waited around until two PM, and when he hadn’t shown up, I’d decided to go to the coffee shop and spend time in the kitchen baking instead. I’d picked up my phone countless times, thinking maybe sending a quick text asking what he was doing wouldn’t be such a bad idea, but I hadn’t ever gone through with it.
He hadn’t contacted me either.
Heading back to the apartment at eight PM, nothing had changed. I didn’t think I had anything specific to say to him, but I wanted very much to see him and be around him. When I had gone to bed at eleven, he still hadn’t been around.
Massaging my temples, I sighed and blindly reached for my phone on the nightstand. I didn’t know why my heartbeat quickened when I took a quick look at the screen and scrolled through a few messages from Sally; there was nothing from Jack there, no calls, no texts—and why would he call or text me anyway? We weren’t that. We weren’t ever going to be that, no matter what dreams I had.
Thoroughly annoyed with myself for being so affected just by a simple dream, I got up to my feet and looked for something I could wear over my panties. I left the simple short-sleeved thin grey t-shirt on and quietly left my room. The only positive thing for the night was that my nose wasn’t running at that particular moment, and it looked like I was over whatever allergic reaction or flu had crossed my path.
When I made it to the staircase, I paused and glanced toward Jack’s room but didn’t dare go anywhere near it. Slowly going down the stairs, I decided a cold glass of water would be just the thing to wake me up from stupid and pointless dreams, but then I saw the light coming from under the door of Jack’s study and turned that way instead.
Chapter Fifteen
Jack
The last forty-eight hours had been hell. I’d spent my entire Sunday at the office dealing with an unexpected crisis that took me away from Rose and when I had successfully handled that hoping I’d get to go home, I’d faced a much more annoying situation in the name of: Bryan Coleson. But it was done. Rose was done with them. I’d made sure.
As if that wasn’t enough for the day, before I could leave the office Joshua had showed up. Everything was piling up and I was slowly getting buried underneath it all.
So I was in my study at three AM, doing nothing but making myself miserable instead of going to bed…just a few doors down from her.
When there was a hesitant knock on the door, I snapped out of my thoughts.
“Come in.”
First, her head peeked in, her shoulders and body hidden behind the door.
“Hey, Jack.”
“Hey.”
“Am I bothering you? Can I come in?”
If I’d been sure it wouldn’t startle her, I’d have laughed out loud. She wasn’t bothering me enough—that was the problem.
Just in case, I closed the lid of my laptop, hiding the email I had just received.
“Please, come in,” I repeated, and she finally showed her entire body and stepped in, closing the door and leaning her back against it. I wasn’t sure how long I could keep my hands off of