“I am not predictable.”
“You absolutely are.”
Chloe slings her bag over her shoulder. “Just promise me one thing.”
“What?”
“If hedoestry to woo you on Tower Bridge…”
“He won’t.”
“…at least wear nice underwear. One should always be prepared.”
AJ walks away immediately. “I am done. I am going back to my desk where nobody talks about underwear strategy.”
Chloe calls after him, “That’s why you’re single!”
“I am single because I have standards!”
I laugh out loud as we head back toward the office.
But as their teasing fades and I walk the last few steps alone, one thought lingers quietly underneath it all.
London suddenly doesn’t feel like just an assignment anymore.
Chapter 11
Jack
Somewhere after Warrington Avafalls asleep.
At first it’s subtle. The kind of slow losing battle people fight when they insist they’reabsolutely still awake. Her head dips forward, jerks back up, then tilts slightly toward me when the coach changes lanes.
I assume she’ll correct herself.
She doesn’t.
A few minutes later she’s properly leaning against me, her shoulder pressed to my arm like she’s surrendered to gravity. I stay still out of instinct more than anything else. Moving now would just wake her.
Then the coach hits a pothole and she tips fully into me.
There’s a small, sleepy sound of protest and then she just… settles. Curled slightly against my chest like she’s found the most stable option available and decided that will do.
And after that it feels unnecessary to move.
So I don’t.
Her hand ends up loosely gripping the front of my jumper. Not deliberately. Just instinct. Like she grabbed the nearest thing to steady herself and never woke up enough to let go.
I become very aware of how still I am.
Across the aisle Dave notices within about thirty seconds.
His grin suggests I’ll be hearing about this until Christmas.
I ignore him.
Ava looks different asleep. Not fragile. Just… off duty. The careful attention she carries when she’s awake isn’t there. No analysing. No observing. No preparing her next question.
