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"Things like Ryan?" I couldn't help it. I wanted to know more.
She sighed and looked so sad, I wanted to pull her into my arms.
"He's a good guy, Tess. And we're not together, so ..."
"So now it's okay with you?" She asked, and I remembered how upset the idea had made me the night before.
I shrugged. "You were right. It's not about me, and it's not up to me. I want you to be happy, and lord knows you need to meet someone. Your life has revolved around salt water and Gran and other peoples' adventures for way too long. You're verging on spinsterhood." It was kind of a joke, but I did worry about my little sister.
"I'm twenty-five." Her voice was flat.
"Well," I said, chuckling. I watched her drink her coffee, amazed at the beautiful woman my little tomboy sister had become. She was perfect. And maybe she was exactly what a nice guy like Ryan needed. "You should give him a chance," I suggested.
"It would never work out," she said. "There's no way I'd ever move to California. And last I checked, they aren't making any big movies out here. We don't even get to see half the movies down here—I had to drive up to DC to see that one you did that won Sundance."
"Well, they don't always distribute the smaller films as widely," I began, about to launch into a long explanation of distribution and licensing rights for films before I realized we were way off topic. "If Ryan wants to make this work, he could. So could you." I wondered if I could give this same advice to myself, to Jace. Could we really make it work just by wanting it enough?
She looked so sad.
"Just don't close the door on it, okay? I want to see you happy."
"Because it's about you," she said, her voice still carrying an edge of hurt that cut deeply.
I dropped my head into my hands. So much for the sister-to-sister talk. "I'm sorry if I've ever made you feel that way."
"I'm sorry too," she said. "It's not your fault, Jules. What did Mom used to say? The only person who could make you feel something is you?"
My heart twisted at the thought of my mother. God, I missed her. I pushed my sadness aside and tried a wicked smile instead. "I bet Ryan could make you feel something if you gave him a chance." I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively.
"Who says I haven't let him already?" she asked, and I could see from her smile that she definitely had.
"Yes! More of that!"
"Not today. Today's Gran's party. And your friends from the magazine will be back. Today Ryan'syourboyfriend, remember?" Her tone was teasing, but her eyes were still sad. I wanted to fix this, to see my sister happy. I wanted to mend whatever rift had formed between us.
My stomach turned. "Right." I shook my head and pushed my hair back. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I brought my mess out here and made it your mess."
"It's okay, Jules," she said, and she gave me a squeeze on the shoulder before she turned and left the kitchen. A few moments later, I did the same. I needed to go prepare for the most challenging acting role of my life. Convincing the world that Ryan was my boyfriend when my heart was so completely suffused with love for Jace was not going to be easy.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Jace
Chad was waiting for me when I got up that morning.
"What's she like?" He asked as we did a perimeter check ahead of the crowd arriving for the party that afternoon. "All moany and soft? Or is she one of those dominant types who tells you where to put it and how hard to go?"
I stopped walking, disgust climbing my spine like some many-legged creature made of oozing flesh. Like the mind flayer fromStranger Things, only smaller, and with Chad's grinning face on it. "Whatever you think you know," I growled at him. "Drop it."
"Oh, look how protective you're getting." The words were still venomous, but he took a step away from me.
"Chad, I’m warning you."
He dropped the shit-eating grin and stopped walking, turning to face me fully. His shrewd eyes gave me a once-over, and the smug look on his lips told me I wasn't going to like what came next. "Couple things," he said, as if he was just telling me about the weather forecast. Casual. Straightforward. "Haven't decided yet which way I'm going, but here's what I'm thinking. One: the boss—I mean the real boss, Austin, would probably be pretty interested in you violating company rules to sleep with a client."
I knew he was right. Austin had given me this chance, and my involvement with Juliet was not something he'd be happy about. If I were him, I wouldn't tolerate it. Being intimately involved with a client could compromise judgment, and that would compromise security. Being in love with Juliet made me less equipped to protect her. And I could hardly afford to lose my job, though I'd known all along this was a possibility. I cursed myself inwardly for not being more careful.
"Two," Chad went on. "I wouldn't be the first guy Juliet paid off to keep something quiet. Sounds like Zac is going to get a fat check. I wonder what she’d be willing to give me."
