AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His confusion turned to something a whole lot different. “When I kissed you?”
“It was a peck on the forehead. You call that a kiss?”
Gage glanced at the two officers on duty outside the room. Both intently listening. She didn’t want to face this. She wanted nothing to do with it—with him. But Ember’s words hung in her head.
Clare had to make a choice.
Right in front of her was the chance to repair the past and have everything she’d ever wanted. But how could she take that step when it might fall apart into nothingness. It might not work, and she’d be left destroyed all over again. Maybe even worse this time.
The alternative? She would not even try. Instead of being hurt, she’d go back to the cold loneliness of keeping her hard heart just because it was easier than taking the risk.
“I need to go back to the elevator.” Clare wasn’t going to admit he wasn’t the one she’d been waiting for. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Maybe you can check in with your people.”
Preferably in a side room, for about half an hour. Which wasn’t going to happen.
She stepped back and started to turn away.
“Hold up a moment,” a man said. Lieutenant Deluca, judging by the tone of his voice. “What’s going on?”
Why fear shuddered through her just then, she had no idea. She was a grown-up. A veteran. A businesswoman and former covert operative. The idea that her teenage boyfriend might come face-to-face with her mother made her want to run away.
“Clare?”
She spun to the female voice. “Hey, Mom.”
Gage stiffened.
Clare strode to her mother, who wore a formfitting but professional dress, and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you for coming.”
“My question still stands.”
Clare turned back to him, which wasn’t better than her mother’s assessing gaze. Probably Letitia Juarez had a million questions about Gage, and this whole situation, but she had come anyway. She’d jumped in her sports car and driven from Seattle to Benson just because Clare asked.
“What’s going on?” Gage folded his arms.
“My mother has agreed to be Alex’s lawyer.”
He cleared his throat. “I should speak to Selena and get an update from the doctors.”
“She’s in there with him, and I think the doctor is in there, too.”
One of the officers said, “He is. Selena said Alex should wake up from the anesthetic soon.”
Her mother headed for the door.
“Letitia.” Gage nodded.
She stared at him for a second. “Lieutenant.” Then she went into the room.
Clare wanted to sink into the closest chair, but she forced her knees to lock. Why did being around her mother make her feel fifteen again? Or like the high school senior who’d gotten pregnant. Whose boyfriend had left her to deal with it alone, dropping off the map. Cutting her loose so soon after she told him that he practically left skid marks on his way out the door.
“I wanna talk to her more than that,” Gage said.
Clare refused to let on how close she was to a breakdown. It had been a tense day, and it wasn’t over yet. She was just nearer the edge than normal—that was all. “I’m sure she’ll let you interview Alex. She’s a tough lawyer, but there’s no reason for him to keep his mouth shut when talking could get him a reduced sentence.”
“That isn’t what I want to talk to her about.”
Before she could ask what on earth he’d want to say, an alarm overhead blared. The door whipped open, and her mother held it. Two nurses rushed in, responding to the problem.
