I nodded against her shoulder, trying to match her slow, steady breaths.
“I can fire my stylist if you want,” Kelsey murmured. “Or I can grab that necklace and smash it with a hammer. Your call.”
Unable to help myself, laughter spilled out of me, though tears still streamed down my cheeks. “Thanks, Kels.”
“Anytime,” Kelsey said, holding me tighter.I nodded, forcing a smile that felt more like a mask. “Alright,” Kelseysaid, brushing under my eyes. “Dry those tears. We’ve got a performance to kill.” She grabbed my hand and tugged me toward the stage. “Come on. Let’s go. I’ll even let you buy me a hot dog after.”
A weak laugh slipped out of me. “You’re the one with the money.”
“Please,” she scoffed. “That all goes to my manager, my stylist, my label—”
I shook my head, the tension in my chest loosening just a fraction. She was trying to distract me. And it was working. For the most part.
As much as I didn’t want to think about it, Jax’s release date was around the corner and the thought of him free again made my skin crawl. He made a promise that he would come back for me and the moment he did, my past would come crashing into my present and there was no telling how far he’d go to keep his promise. It didn’t matter if I was home, across the city, or on a different planet, Jax Henley was always with me, silently reminding me that I would never be free of him, no matter how hard I tried.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
NATHAN
THE SILENCE BETWEENElise and me was deafening as she handed me my schedule on Monday morning, her movements crisp and efficient, but there was a chill in the air I hadn’t felt before. She didn’t linger like usual. No teasing comment. No warmth. Just business. Cold, clean, distant.
“Your twelve o’clock lunch with McKenna has been moved to one,” she said, nail tapping lightly against the iPad screen. “I’ve confirmed your meeting with the finance team for three-thirty, and I’ll send over the agenda for this afternoon’s conference call shortly.”
I studied her like I was trying to decode a locked file. Her expression was neutral. But her voice had lost its warmth, and that was enough to tell me everything I needed to know.
This wasn’t just about being professional.
This was about me. About what I’d said. About what I’d done.
But damn it, I hadn’t expected her to retreat this far, this fast. Something twisted in my chest. Irritation, maybe? Thedistance between us wasn’t supposed to widen, it was supposed to close. She was supposed to look at me again the way she did Friday night, with warmth, and maybe even a little desire. Not like I was a stranger she was counting the days to escape from.
“Elise—”
“Is there anything else you need, Mr. Edge?” she interrupted smoothly, her tone polite but pointed. Like a blade dipped in icing.
Mr. Edge.
The way she said it, so precise, so formal, felt like a shield between us, a line drawn in permanent marker. A name that used to mean respect suddenly sounded like distance. Like punishment.
I stood up from my chair, irritation simmering just beneath the surface. “Is this about the karaoke bar?”
She didn’t answer right away, but her grip on the iPad tightened ever so slightly. Still, she kept her eyes on the screen, like if she avoided looking at me, I might disappear.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” she said, her voice cool and composed.
“Yes, you do.” I kept my tone calm, but inside, frustration was beginning to stir. “You’ve been like this all morning.”
Finally, her gaze snapped to mine, and for a second, there it was. That fire. The one that made her a force in and out of my office.
“Like what, exactly? Professional? Isn’t that what you want from your assistant, Mr. Edge?”
Her words landed like a slap. Because she was right. But also, she wasn’t.
“I want my assistant, yes,” I said, slower this time. “But I also want the woman who doesn’t hold back when she has something to say. The woman who isn’t afraid to call me out when I’m being difficult.”
She let out a soft, humorless laugh. “Funny. I seem to recall calling you out the other night, and you didn’t seem to appreciate it then.”
She wasn’t wrong. I’d torn into Warren like a jealous asshole, humiliated him in front of his team, and Elise had called me out without hesitation. She’d stood her ground, even when I tried to bulldoze her.
