Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 102479 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102479 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Jagger’s face heated—and not the good kind of hot it got in the bedroom. “That’s all the more reason for you to stay here, or better yet, come stay at my place where I can keep an eye on you.”
“I need to go home, Jagger.”
“There’s a difference between want and need. You don’t need to go home.”
I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache coming on. “Okay, then I want to. And I’m going to.”
Jagger studied me. Not finding anything that made him happy, he walked to the dining room and grabbed his suit jacket.
“Where are you going?”
“I need to make arrangements. If you’re not staying, at least let me put extra security on your building.”
I could see in his face he was bending further than he was used to. And he meant well. Plus, I didn’t need to leap back into my life. Baby stepping was okay. I nodded, thinking we’d reached a compromise. “Okay. Thank you.” I laid my palms on his chest. “But can’t you make the calls after…”
Jagger shook his head. “No. I need to go.”
I pulled my hands back. “You mean you want to.”
“I’m glad you can see there’s a difference.”
He went to the door and didn’t look back before walking out.
***
The next morning, I waited until six before getting out of bed. Something in my gut told me Jagger wasn’t going to come today, even though he had every other morning since I’d come to stay. Still, I laid in bed, hoping. The latest he’d ever showed up was five thirty, yet I still listened for the door as I took a shower and got ready for work.
Full-blown disappointment had set in by the time I’d finished drying my hair and getting dressed. By seven, when there was still no sign of him, I decided to go upstairs.
Louise answered the door and said Jagger had already left for work, but Amelia heard my voice and came running.
“Sutton, will you braid my hair?”
“Of course.”
I went inside, and Louise gave me a cup of coffee while I made two French braids, one on each side of Amelia’s head.
“Is your sister still sleeping?”
Amelia nodded and rolled her eyes. “She took forever to go back to sleep last night. Uncle Jagger had a bad dream.”
I stopped braiding. “He had a bad dream? Did it wake you?”
“I didn’t wake up. But Olivia woke up when he yelled, and then she woke me up.”
“Does that…happen often? Your uncle has bad dreams?”
Amelia shrugged. “Not that I can remember. But Olivia sometimes has them, and she wants to talk to me for hours after. It’s so annoying.”
I wanted to ask more questions—What did your uncle yell? Did he go back to sleep? Did he say anything at all? But I couldn’t pump a little girl for information. And it seemed like she didn’t think too much of her uncle having a nightmare, so the less questions the better.
As soon as I got to the office, though, I went up to see Jagger. Unfortunately, his assistant said he was in a meeting. I hesitated, unsure if I should leave a message or not, but in the end I did since he was going out of town to deal with the DOJ tonight, and I wanted to speak to him before he went.
By five o’clock though, I was wishing I hadn’t, since he didn’t call me back. Uneasiness settled in the pit of my belly, and I shot off a quick text.
Sutton: Hey. Just wanted to check in. Was hoping I would see you before you left.
I stared at the phone for a long time before hitting enter and decided to add one more sentence.
Sutton: Good luck with your meeting tonight. Call me when you have time.
I was just about to shut down my laptop when an email arrived from Jagger’s assistant. I clicked and discovered it was a meeting cancellation notice. He was canceling our regular weekly mentor meeting for Monday. Disappointed, but not surprised, I tried to shake it off and had started packing up my desk when Edmund came down.
“Hey, sweetheart. You leaving?”
I zipped my laptop into my bag and noticed he also had his briefcase slung over his shoulder. “I am. Are you actually getting out of here, too? It’s only five o’clock. I didn’t think you ever left this place before six or seven.”
“It happens every once in a while.” He smiled. “You want a lift? I drove today.”
“You did? I thought you always took the train?”
He shrugged. “Sometimes I take the car. Gotta start the battery and run it every now and then.”
I lifted the strap of my bag to my shoulder, and Edmund put his hand out for me to go first. Together we headed to the elevator.
“Thank you for the offer, but I’m actually going to Jagger’s building,” I said. “Which is the opposite direction of your place, so I’ll take the train. I’m moving back to my apartment today.”