Page 57 of Secret Husband
Franky continued. “You do realize that Lauren is involved with Thad? In fact, he’s about to propose.”
“And you think he is a suitable match for her?”
Jason shrugged. “To be honest, I don’t know him all that well.”
“That’s not really the point, is it?” Franky expelled an impatient breath. “She’s a grown woman with agency. If she no longer wishes to be married to you, then I’m not seeing how you can force her to maintain this arrangement.”
“Perhaps you are right.”
Franky wasn’t buying that for a second. “Are you in love with her?”
Jason looked taken aback. “Doc, that’s none—ah, hell, answer the question, Naz.”
“I care for her. I want to see if the connection we had all those years ago has survived the passage of time. As for love? Maybe once. But it was the love of a boy for a girl, green and unvarnished. Now? Perhaps we should learn if this quirk of fate that threw us together once more has legs.”
Franky sat back and stared at me. “Yet you don’t give her the respect of acknowledging her wishes in this matter. That’s definitely not love, Alexei, or whatever you’re calling it.” A cry emerged from the baby monitor. “I’ve probably said enough.” She shot another meaningful look at Jason.
Once she was gone, he shook his head, almost in wonder.
“So I always suspected that you had a thing for her in college, but I had no idea it had gone this far. What happened?”
“I hurt her and she has never forgiven me.”
Jason blew out a breath. “You know about her dad, right? She’s got major trust issues, yet what I’m hearing is that you did her dirty years ago and now you’ve waltzed back in, expecting her to bow to your will.”
“I … I had my reasons back then. But I plan to make it right.”
My friend looked skeptical.
“You will have to trust me.”
“Will I? Because while we might go back years, if I had to choose?—”
“I know, and I appreciate it. I want you to always protect her.”
He remained as grave as I’d ever seen him. I was glad Lauren had him in her corner. “Even from you?”
“Even from me.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Alexei
* * *
The door to Jason’s apartment cracked open, and a pair of stunning silver eyes stared through the gap. But something was wrong. A raw redness rimmed them.
“Lauren?”
“Jason’s not here.”
“I am lending him my PlayStation console. I thought he—what is wrong?”
She closed the door, undid the chain, and pulled it open. “I can make sure he gets it.” Her voice fractured a little.
I could have passed the bag to her, turned around, and went about my business, specifically the business of fucking Jessica Murdock into the middle of next week. Teary-eyed women were not my thing, but Lauren was a friend. And I hoped she saw me as one, too.
“Why are you crying?”
