Page 48 of The Editor’s Choice

Just as I push the start button on the machine, Jade shuffles around the corner, looking adorably disheveled. Even with her hair a mess and makeup smudged around her eyes from yesterday, she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty. How’d you sleep?” I ask, smiling at her as she holds out her arms and walks straight into my chest before wrapping them tightly around me. I kiss the top of her head as she sighs against me, sounding content.

“I slept like a rock,” she laughs, looking up at me with half-asleep eyes. “I haven’t slept that good in years. Maybe ever. How about you?”

“I slept really well,” I admit, relishing the feel of her in my arms again. “It was nice to finally have you here with me for the whole night.”

Her entire face lights up before a blush creeps into her cheeks and has her hiding her face against me. I love that she wears her feelings on her sleeve. I just hope that doesn’t cause a problem for us as we navigate through all of this.

“Sara is coming over tonight. I’m going to tell her the truth about us and why you killed Emily,” I say, holding up a hand when she tries to protest. “She needs to know. She’s been my biggest help since I started working on this entire thing. If I don’t tell her, and she finds out some other way, she could ruin our future before it even has a chance to get started. I’m not willing to risk that with you.”

Instead of arguing, she simply nods, pulling her lip between her teeth to pick at the skin there. I’ve noticed it’s a nervous habit of hers lately.

“I think she’ll understand once everything is laid out,” I say honestly. I can’t be 100% certain, and I was wrong about James, but I’d bet Sara is more logically driven than emotionally driven. She gets off on obtaining the facts and making sense of them.

The entire day is spent relaxing, just enjoying each other’s company. Chinese take-out for lunch. A cheesy romantic sap story on tv. Cuddling and intimate conversation. Literally a dream. But every dream is short-lived.

A knock on the door wakes us both from this dream we’ve been living all day. Back to reality. The weight is nearly soul-crushing as I make my way to the door, knowing this could be the end of everything I’ve ever wanted. The only shot at happiness I’ve ever had.

“Sara,” I greet her, opening the door wide to let her through.

“You said we needed to talk?” she says, slipping off her shoes by the door before heading to the living room. She stops cold several feet from the room, dead in her tracks. Turning, she stares at me with confusion written across her face. Maybe a little anger also.

It’s obvious she interrupted something intimate here. Two lovers spending quality time together, both still dressed in pajamas regardless of the hour.

“I think you know Jade,” I start, motioning for her to pick a seat.

“Kind of, yes,” she stammers, still processing what she’s stumbled into.

“Hear me out,” I say, taking the seat beside Jade again. She’s shrunk back into the couch, trying her best to be invisible. “There’s a lot you don’t know. A lot I didn’t really understand when we found that video.”

“Right,” Sara says quietly, taking a seat in the chair on the other side of the coffee table to face us.

Jade and I tell her the whole story, sparing no details about that night and everything that led up to it. By the end, tears are streaming down Jade’s face and Sara still doesn’t look entirely sold on the story.

“I know it’s hard to believe,” Jade says, sniffling and wiping at her nose with a tissue. “But I can show you the texts. Show you everything she had been saying to all these people. All the plans she had made to fucking sell me to them.”

“No need,” Sara says, more calm now than she has been since she walked through the door. “You’ve been through a lot already. No need to keep bringing all of that back into your life.”

“We need your help,” I level with her. “I’m no good with the police. I’ve never had any real dealings with the legal side of this shit. Only what’s done in the dark.”

“I don’t do super well with the police, Roman. But I think I can plant some things in the video that might help steer them into a different direction. Eventually, they’re going to recover the deleted parts of the video. I can’t prevent that. But maybe I can tweak it a bit.” She pulls out her phone, types out a text, then places it back into her jacket pocket.

“Thank you,” Jade begins. “So much. You have no idea how much I appreciate you.”

“It’s no big deal. The police would never believe you. Even with the evidence right there in front of them, they’d still try to convict you on her murder just so they could put someone away for it,” Sara reasons, seeming more comfortable now that everything is out on the table.

“Thank you for everything you’ve done,” I say, hoping the sincerity bleeds through into my voice. “The only other issue at the moment is Cain and keeping an eye on him. I don’t want him getting anywhere close to her, and I’d be lying if I said I thought this was all over just because Emily is dead.”

Sara stiffens in her seat again, looking between us before locking her gaze with mine. “You absolutely should still be concerned about him. The man is a total fuckhead. I’ve got access to his phone, as well as a couple of guys who are working with him. Nothing damning has come across them so far, but he knows better than to send anything like that.”

As she stands to leave, she straightens her jacket before looking between us again. “I sincerely wish you both the best. I’ll be in touch if I hear anything worth sharing.”

I walk her to the door, closing it softly behind her before exhaling a lungful of air, feeling my mood deflate right along with my chest.

Doing my best to keep the mood light, I turn back to find Jade staring at the coffee table, ignoring me completely. “You okay?” I ask, snagging a bottle of water from the fridge before rejoining her in the living room.

“Yeah,” she says blandly. “Totally okay.” The sarcasm dripping from her voice is a little much, but I totally get it. The last few days have been a lot to take in. Hell, the last several weeks have been a lot.