In Her Eyes by Erica Alexander

Author:Erica Alexander [Alexander, Erica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Erica Alexander
Published: 2022-09-28T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 27

Jake

I’m an ass. And I hurt Ava and there’s no denying I didn’t handle this whole thing well.

But I can’t accept that my sister’s death plays a role in bringing us together.

And yet I know it does.

I drop to my chair, and it screeches in protest. I need to replace the old thing, but it’s one of the few tokens I have from my grandfather, and I refuse to give it up. I spent many hours sitting on his lap as a boy on this chair while he read me books or taught me how to make sailing knots. I reach for the drawer, pull it open, and grab the rock made smooth by time and friction.

“What should I do, Pops?” I swivel in his chair, half expecting him to appear, but only silence greets me.

I close my eyes and lean back. The chair creaks again, and the sound is followed by a knock on my door. Ava? My heart punches my chest from the inside. Idiot. Of course it is not her, not after how you left her on the side of the road. You’ll be lucky if she comes back to see you at all.

I put the rock back in the drawer and close it. “Come in.”

Jeff opens the door and steps in. Makes himself comfortable in one of the chairs across from me, and Duke lies on the floor next to him. He slouches and crosses one leg over the other. Smiles. “Trouble in paradise?”

I narrow my eyes at him. “What do you mean?”

He scratches the side of his nose. “I saw you out front with your girlfriend. It looked like you were having a fight. Everything okay?”

He’s fishing for information, but why? Is he interested in Ava? If he is, it will be over my cold, dead body. I clench my hands at my sides. Guess that answers my lingering question about whether I want to be with her. I slide into my friendly cop skin.

“Fight? No fight. Not sure what makes you think that.” Did he hear anything we talked about?

Jeff uncrosses his legs and slouches further down like he’s settling in for a long stay. “I don’t know. It looked intense from where I was.”

I laugh. “And where was that? I didn’t see you outside.”

He scratches his ear. It’s one of his tells. He’s getting ready to pounce. “Oh, you wouldn’t. I was in my car.”

He didn’t hear us then. Relief washes over me like a retreating tide, taking away the worry with it. I grab a couple of files and tap them together on my desk. It’s more subtle than get the fuck out of my office, but still pretty obvious I want him gone.

“She said the same thing. No fight. She’s a pretty little thing, isn’t she? If you’re not together, is she single?” Jeff smirks.

I won’t take the bait. I drop the files on my desk. Recline again. “How long have we known each other, Jeff?”

“I’m not doing that math, but since middle school, if my memory serves me right.

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