Page 88 of Wait for Him

His arms loosen, but the look he gives me doesn't. He knows exactly what I'm doing, and I know he knows, which is one of the more irritating features of a long-term friendship with someone who's made a hobby out of learning all your escape routes.

I pick up his coffee and hand it back to him like this is a perfectly normal Wednesday morning and not an exit strategy so transparent I'm surprised it doesn't come with emergency lighting.

“Here.”

He takes the cup but doesn't drink from it. “Rosalie.”

Fucking first name. We're escalating.

I can't even look him in the eyes, so I let mine wander down instead.

Well, don't look there either!

Jesus Christ.

I turn quickly and grab my bag before my eyeballs create an entirely new category of problems for me.

“Lock the door on your way down. I'll see you at the office.”

And without another word, without looking at his concerned face or that ridiculous, incredible body or any of the things that might keep me here if I gave them half a chance, I walk out.

The door clicks shut behind me.

My phone buzzes in my pocket almost immediately, and I've never been so grateful for an interruption in my life. A small mercy arriving in the shape of somebody else's problem, hauling me clean out of my own spiraling head.

Jade.

One of the few real friends I've made in this city, a powerhouse attorney in her own right and my preferred source for anything tabloid, press or lawsuit adjacent. We have mutually beneficial interests and absolutely no illusions about the arrangement. She feeds me information before it hits daylight; I occasionally make introductions or help kill something before it grows teeth.

I've also tried, on more occasions than I care to count, to set her up with Michael.

He has held the line every single time on not being interested, which remains one of his more baffling failures of judgment. Jade is brilliant, beautiful, funny, terrifying in court and possesses exactly enough patience to survive him. I would make an excellent sister-in-law to her.

He refuses to cooperate.

Selfish.

I swipe to answer as I step into the elevator.

“Rosalie!” she screams.

I yank the phone away from my ear. “Damn, Jade, it's too early for this. Why are you screaming at me?”

“Sorry, I'm running a mile a minute this morning. It's your brother. There's a story about to break on him in under an hour, and it's not good, babes. I'm sending it to you right now.”

Fuck.

What has he done now?

“Thanks, Jade. How bad?”

“It's a hit piece. No question about it. Somebody came prepared, and whoever fed this to them knew exactly what they were doing.” Papers shuffle on her end, followed by the unmistakable sound of heels moving quickly across tile. “I've gotta run. I'm walking into court, but I wanted you to have it before it dropped. Tell me what you need and it's yours.”

“Thank you. Love you, babes. Go kick some ass.”

“Always. Talk soon.”

The email lands before the call disconnects.