Page 28 of The Silent Hour

Her lips pressed together before she answered.

"It's... You know Lila, right?"

"Oh, I made sure I knew Lila," I answered, my tone sharpening. "But go on."

"Last week, I went to see Knox at the office. She was there, dropping off files or whatever. And the way he looked at her..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "To her credit, she didn't seem to notice. But he saw me see him do it. He was quick to reassure me without me even having to say a word."

"She is very pretty, smart, and always in close proximity," I began, trying to keep my voice level while making those same damn observations for myself.

"Damn, Juj. Next you're going to tell me her coochie is bejeweled or something."

I laughed. "I was leading up to saying she's all of that, but you are all of that too. And you're so much more to him than some coworker, T. If he risks what you two have and fumbles the incredible woman you are, then he's a fucking fool."

She went quiet for a beat before shaking her head and grinning.

"You're right. My pussy isn't bejeweled, though."

That sent us both laughing again.

Toya used comedy like a coat, wrapping herself in it whenever the world got too sharp, so I knew she meant it when her expression softened.

"Thanks for the pep talk," she teased, nudging my arm.

"It was the truth. And you know you can tell me anything." I paused. "If it were Ethan, if it ever is Ethan, I'm coming straight to you and the girls. I know myself. Once I start suspecting something is off, I'll be like a dog with a damn bone until I have everything laid out in front of me."

Toya nodded solemnly.

"And if my worst nightmare comes true, you'd better be ready to bail me out of jail and make sure my parents get the kids, because he won't be around to do it."

Her lips twitched.

"The hole Carmen digs won't be needed either," I added. "It'd be a waste of space. We live right on the ocean, and I have a boat."

Her grin turned wicked.

"Bail you out? Bitch, I'm going to be in the cell right beside you."

We laughed again before falling into a companionable silence, walking past storefronts and folding our private promises between us.

But beneath the jokes, a thin question had nudged its way into my head and wouldn't take the hint to leave.

I shoved it down.

Tucked it into the same mental drawer where I kept practical things like grocery lists, school calendars, and playdate contacts.

Because I trusted Ethan with my heart.

I trusted him so completely that it felt like an organ I could set on the counter in front of him and walk away, knowing it would still be whole when I came back.

And if he ever broke it?

I tried desperately not to imagine that.

But if he did, he'd learn exactly what people meant when they warned about a woman scorned.

CHAPTER EIGHT

ETHAN