you, then I would feel more comfortable that she was doing it in my absence.”
“Instead of Michael.”
He lets out a frustrated breath. “Yes, instead of Michael.”
Just as he says this, my phone rings. I take it out of my bag to see that Jessie’s calling. I show him it’s her before answering.
“Hey, Jess—”
“Holy fuck, Ana! Are you okay?” She screeches it so loud, I have to take the phone away from my ear. Jake chuckles slightly under his breath at my action.
“Yes, I’m fine. Honestly. I think he only did it to scare me … to let me know that he was there. That he’s always there.”
“Did you have your gun with you? You could have shot the fucker in the nuts.”
I burst into laughter, causing Jake to snap his head to me in wonder. “Unfortunately, no. It’s still tucked away safely by my bedside.”
“Bummer,” she responds, “because it could have come in handy today.”
True, but for all I know, Alan was unarmed. Not sure how well that would go with the law if I had shot him.
“Where are you anyway?” she asks, interrupting my thoughts. “I assume you’re not coming to work now?”
“No, I’m coming in. I’m just with Jake right now.”
Jake raises an eyebrow, and Jessie stays silent for a while.
“Okay, I’ll leave you to it then. I’ll talk to you when you get here.”
Her temporary silence speaks volumes. I have a hunch she wants to ask questions but knows now is not exactly the time. “Sure thing,” I reply before hanging up the phone.
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact you have a gun.”
I place my phone back in my bag and turn to him. Despite the dark circles encasing those normally beautifully sparkling eyes of his, he’s looking as gorgeous as ever. His sharp, strong jawline is highlighted by the day or two old stubble he has, and his hair is a mass of dark curls when normally his hair is meticulously straight and gelled back. He’s wearing a thin grey and red jumper which hugs his toned physique in all the right places.
In typical inappropriate fashion, heat travels to my groin, making me bite my lip. I have to avert my gaze from lingering too long as it will give the game away.
“I have to take care of myself somehow, and I must admit, knowing it’s there beside me at night is what helps me sleep better.”
Jake shakes his head, a sad expression on his face. “You shouldn’t have to have a gun beside you to feel safe.”
One could misconstrue what he’s just said and think that he means it should be him keeping me safe, but I have a strong hunch it has nothing to do with that. No one should have to sleep next to a gun to feel safe, but unfortunately, this is the kind of world we’re living in.
“How’s my mother’s pregnancy going?” I ask, changing the subject. He laughs at that. “What?”
His laughter stops, and he fixes me with those sparkling green eyes. I haven’t seen them sparkle like that in a long time. It makes me smile.
“You’re going through all this shit with your mom, that fucker Alan, and the other fucker Spector, but you still want to know how she’s doing?”
I roll my eyes at his statement. “I may not like her, Jake, but she’s still my mother—a mother who’s carrying my brother. Of course, I’m going to care.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”
I smile, taking his hand. “I know you didn’t.”
Jake squeezes my hand back, his gaze longing like he wishes we could be a lot closer than we are. It makes me think back to when we were at that restaurant, talking about going back in time and how we could have met under different circumstances. If only he had met me before my mother. I could wish for that with all my might, but it would be fruitless. It is what it is, and whether I like it or not, I still have to accept it.
“She’s going for another scan this afternoon.”
The answer I suspect I’ll receive to my question brings a painful pang to my stomach, but I ask it anyway. “Are you going?”
Jake lets out a long sigh and nods his head. “If I am the father, I can’t shirk my responsibility.”
I close my eyes, pain etched into my core. In some respects, I feel insanely jealous of my mum because she gets to experience everything I can only