Page 58 of Strict Confidence (Rochester Trilogy 2)
All it takes is one email. I tap it out and hit send.
“Your flight is booked. I’ve notified the agency that your employment has been terminated effective immediately. I’m wiring the full payment now.”
Jane lifts one hand from Paige’s small back and brushes away the tears from her cheeks. “Maybe this is your chance.”
“For what?” This isn’t my chance to do anything except keep drawing in breath after painful breath. This is the last thing I ever wanted to say to her. The last goddamn thing.
“At Emily,” she says, shrugging one shoulder in a way that’s so nonchalant it crushes the air out of my lungs. “If she’s still alive, you could be with the woman you wanted all along.”
“Jane.”
She ignores me. Jane eases herself out from under Paige, who turns to face the back of the couch and keeps sleeping. She’ll be awake soon, and I’ll have to explain why Jane’s leaving. Jane runs a hand along her shoulder, then straightens up and faces me. “I don’t have anything to take with me. Everything burned in the fire.”
Christ. “Take your clothes. And your phone. I’m not sending you away empty-handed.”
Jane looks down at herself like she’s seeing the clothes for the first time. She lets out a laugh that sounds almost bitter. My chest squeezes. That bitterness is a painfully unfamiliar sound. “I’m sure I’ll fit right in at home.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Jane Mendoza
The Houston airport teems with kids on spring break. Some of them, older groups, heading to beaches. Others with small children, already decked out in Disney gear.
A small girl races into her mother’s arms, and my chest pangs. I miss Paige. It’s only been hours since I gave her a hug goodbye, but it hurts. She refused to move. Or speak. Or acknowledge what I was telling her. It feels awful having surprised her with the news.
I’ll never see her again.
Kitten wriggled away from my hug, not understanding why I was holding her so tight or why my eyes were leaking. I’ll never see her again either.
Sunglasses disguise my puffy, red eyes. No one questions why I’m wearing them indoors. I head away from the gate with my luggage trailing behind me. Outside there are people hugging and exclaiming as they meet their loved ones. I’m looking for a red Nissan Versa according to the app, but the map says it’s still fifteen minutes away.
“Jane.”
I glance up to see Noah walking toward me. “What are you doing here?”
“You sent me your flight number. I couldn’t wait to see you.”
He wraps me in a warm, familiar embrace, and I shudder out a breath. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to talk about it without breaking down in tears. Public scenes are not exactly my thing. I don’t want to cry in front of all these strangers. I don’t even want to cry in front of Noah.
“You want to talk about it?” he asks, his words soft.
We’ve been through a lot together, but I don’t even know where to begin with this. I want to rail and scream and sob—but most of all, I don’t want to hurt him. Noah. The one guy who has been with me for all this time. He doesn’t need to know that I slept with Beau. “I got fired.”
“Good,” he says. “It wasn’t safe there for you.”
Beau’s words ring in my head. My love is dangerous. I didn’t believe him at first, but by the end I did. Maine isn’t safe for me. Is it safe for him? For Paige? I’m not there to protect them anymore. It hits me like a knife in the chest. “Right.”
He taps the side of my sunglasses. “These hiding something?”
I glance over his shoulder to where his ancient truck waits against the curb. “I still don’t understand how you’re here. Don’t you have to work right now?”
“I traded shifts, and no, you’re not going to change the subject.”
A shaky exhale. “They still don’t know who set the fire, but it doesn’t matter. I’m not there anymore. And I really, really—” My voice breaks. “Really care about that little girl. I screwed up. I got too close. You told me not to, but I did it anyway.”
“He touched you.”
So much for keeping secrets. Apparently even wearing dark sunglasses and wrapped in a large sweater, I’m an open book. “I’m sorry, Noah.”
“Don’t be fucking sorry. He took advantage of his position.”
“I can’t listen to another rant about rich people right now. It’s not… me. It’s not my life. I got confused there for a minute, I got caught up in something, but it’s over now. I’m back where I belong.”
He studies me. “You never did fit in with us, Jane.”
“Don’t.” I never fit in anywhere. I never had a family, and probably never will.
“I thought you were gone for good.”
