Page 35 of Bad Decisions

The words of Parker’s question grow fuzzy as I stare at my cell, imagining the possible answers.

Parker: Have you got her back yet?

He sent the message last night, not in our group chat but directly to me. Parker knew I’d met somebody while I was staying at the beach house. He’d tried to get me to talk about Jewel when we were in Italy. It was mostly because we’d run out of conversation while walking the hospital corridors outside Antonio’s room while he recovered from the severe beating he’d suffered.

I’d barely told him anything about her until the night I was stabbed. That’s when everything I’d held tightly to my chest, including her name, spilled out in my incoherent ramblings as I drifted in and out of consciousness. According to Parker, I couldn’t stop repeating her name, and he hasn’t let me forget it ever since.

From that point on, my so-called friend did some digging, and with access to the resources we have, it didn’t take him long to learn that she’s the physiotherapist I had traveled all the way to Brooklyn to see.

Me: I’m still not going to talk to you about her.

Parker: Too late. You already did.

I can imagine him sitting in the office, laughing his head off at my expense. After all, that was his reaction when he visited me in the Italian hospital and recounted in great detail what I’d said while I was hallucinating.

Me: It wasn’t by choice.

Parker: Even better. But in all seriousness, you’ve got strong feelings for this woman. You need to sort those out.

The annoyance at my friend butting into my relationship with Jewel immediately disappears because I know he’s right. It’s why I’m here. I care deeply for her. And while I’m not sure exactly when that happened, I do know it wasn’t long after we met. Another message flashes up from Parker.

Parker: If you don’t, then the next time I’m strapping up your sorry ass, I don’t want to hear it all again.

Me: This is you being serious. And you wonder why I don’t speak to you about personal stuff.

Parker: A very fair point. But I’ve gotta go. Get better and get your ass back to work because Ben is being a fucking moody bastard, and I need someone to share the load.

Something happened to Ben in the South American jungle that he refuses to talk about. He came back with a whole new level of assholery that was completely out of character. It lasted a couple of months before he slowly returned to his usual calm, focused self. But now it sounds like he’s been triggered again.

I frown at my cell. It’s good to have someone else’s problem to think about rather than my own.

Chapter nineteen

Jewel

Iam not going to fall for Will again!

But the thought rings hollow the moment I catch sight of him through the café window. His head is bent over his cell, his blond-tipped brown hair falling thickly over his brow. He wears it longer now than when we met, which was only weeks after he’d retired from the US Army Rangers. I like it longer and the way it softens his face even when he’s frowning like he is now. The scruffy stubble has gone too, replaced by a smooth, clean shave that highlights his strong jawline and could have him passing for a businessman from the city.

Lifting my chin, I stiffen my spine before pushing the glass door open and walking into the café. Agreeing to meet Will to talk isn’t a mistake. Thinking we could have a long-distance relationship six months ago was where we went wrong. That’s when we should have both walked away. It would have saved a lot of heartache, at least for me. I fell hard and fast for the man in front of me. And the knot of fear making my breaths short could be an indication that I’m about to do it all again.

Will came into my life when I was at my most vulnerable. He was the rock surrounded by stormy seas for me to rest on. But I don’t need a safe harbor anymore because I’m stronger and able to survive alone.

What I need today is the determination to resist the only man I’ve ever found irresistible. That’s if I’m to keep my racing heart intact.

At my sides, I curl my fingers into my palms, digging the nails into the soft flesh of my hands, then stride toward the last corner booth where Will is sitting. I’ve never shied away from a challenge, and I won’t start today. Will doesn’t look up until I’m only feet away. Inky-blue pools filled with desire send warmth flowing through my veins, and my feet feel like I’ve stepped into quicksand. He searches for something in my expression, and I freeze my features into a blank mask.

My shutters are down, hiding all the emotion that bubbles in my belly. I’m a cauldron of feelings, and I don’t want him to know that.

Will stands and gestures for me to take the seat opposite him. He always was polite. I slide onto the banquette just as the waitress appears.

“Hi, Jewel. Would you like your usual?” Jenny asks, while her eyes race back and forth between Will and me.

“Yes, please,” I reply, glad I don’t have to think about my order but also regretting choosing a café where I’m known.

“And you, sir?”

“A diet cola, please.”