you? Are you going to be at that news conference tomorrow? I need a friend in the media to glorify all my good points.”
“The media loves you. That’s another reason why Novak is bulldozing you through the legislative session. You’re perfect, Gideon.”
“True.” His brows rose. “Does that mean you’re deserting me?”
She shook her head. “It means I’m tired and need to move on,” she said wearily. “It means I don’t want to be around when all of Maldara is fawning over Zahra’s memory. It means I’ve been fighting this battle for two years, and now that we’re ending the story, I’m ready to skip the epilogue. I feel flat. I need something fresh and new to spark me.”
“I’m fresh. I’m new. Just watch what I do to those stale old bureaucrats once I get my foot in the door.” He added coaxingly, “It will be fun, Jill.”
“I’ve been doing some research in my spare time on a project that will be fun, too. And you’ll be too busy to miss me, Gideon. Maybe I’ll come back for the coronation.”
“Coronation was Zahra. I have no royal aspirations. Just a little fun for the shortest possible time, then I’m back in my plane and heading for the wild blue yonder.” He grinned. “Don’t lose touch, and I’ll head your way.”
She watched him walk out of the room before she turned and started packing up the few belongings Eve had brought to her. She was going to miss Gideon. He had been her friend and ally since this had begun. But it wasn’t as if she was losing him entirely. People moved constantly in and out of her life. It was how she lived, how she worked. It didn’t alter how she felt about them.
It wouldn’t change how she felt about Novak.
Don’t think about Novak right now.
It was hurting, and it wasn’t as if she hadn’t known that it was going to end like this. It was why she’d fought to keep it from beginning. It was too intense. He was too dominant. They’d both do far better alone.
Alone.
She wasn’t really alone, she told herself. She had friends, she had her work, she didn’t need a man like Novak, who would be a constant disturbance.
She didn’t need Novak.
She would finish packing, check out of this hospital, and go say good-bye to Eve. Eve had said that their friendship was for the long haul, and she owed her that courtesy.
Then she would give Novak a call on her way to the airport. That would be the best way to handle it.
No, Novak would be furious. He would recognize it for the escape it was. She didn’t care. It would be too easy to let herself delay the inevitable. She would take any way she could to avoid the pain of what had to be done.
She needed that escape, she thought wearily.
* * *
“You’re not going to get away with it,” Eve said flatly when Jill walked into the museum two hours later. “Gideon blew the whistle on you with me. I squealed to Novak. He should be here any moment.”
“So much for enduring friendship,” Jill said. “I was going to call him. He’s just…busy.”
“Absolutely. Novak is doing a hell of a lot to keep this country stable. He doesn’t deserve having to face you running out on him right now. Don’t be a coward. It’s not like you. At least you should stick around until he has a chance to get his breath.” She crossed the room and gave her a quick hug. “Ordinarily, I’d stay out of your business. But you’ve never made it a practice to stay out of mine, so why should I worry? We’ve gone way past that.” She smiled. “Whatever you choose is fine with me. But you never ran out on me, and it’s not fair to do it with Novak.”
“You’re damn right it’s not,” Novak said grimly from the doorway. “But that doesn’t mean you didn’t try to do it.” He was across the room and pulling Jill toward the door. “And I could see it coming when you woke up in that hospital room.” They were outside now, and he slammed the door shut behind him. “You were worried and concerned and wanting to set everything in order.”
“Of course I was. I’d just returned to consciousness, and I wanted to make sure everyone was alive and well, dammit.”
“No, there was more to it than that. I know you very well now, Jill. There was an edge.