Page 53 of Betrayed

Needing to think about something else, I asked, “Where’s AJ sleeping?” My eyes shifted to the full size bed. Not that I expected them to tell me we had to share it, but my mind went there anyway.

“He has to run home.” I turned fast enough to lose my balance, causing Meg to add, “Don’t worry, he’ll be back. He needs to pack a bag and get his truck.”

“I wasn’t worried.” I lied. When had I become so attached to AJ?I’m not. I’m just clinging to him because he’s familiar.

“If he sleeps at all, it’ll be on the couch.” Meg said, ignoring my dismissal.

“And Jamie and Jay live here, so at least one of them will be awake throughout the night,” Emily added.

She didn’t mention Jack and Meg, which made sense. I couldn't imagine all of them living here together.

“Jaden lives with you?” It was easier to talk about that than my fear.

Emily answered, “For now, he just got home from the Marines and didn’t want to live with his parents.” I could understand that, it was why I lived on campus during the week despite living close to campus. “So we said he could crash here until he finds a place.”

When I asked, “Is this his room?” Emily nodded.

“I feel bad. Everyone’s life is being disrupted because of me.”

“Don’t, this is shockingly normal for us,” Meg said.

That couldn’t be right. “It’s normal for you to have clients sleeping in your spare room?” My shock filled the room.

Meg and Emily shared another look. I didn’t like how often everyone here communicated without talking.

“Well, that part isn’t normal,” Emily said with a smirk.

What the hell does that mean?I didn't have time to ask.

“Let’s go get that tea,” Meg added before I could ask any more questions.

If it’s not normal, why am I here?

Chapter 27

AJ

We talked in the office to give the girls some privacy. I wasn’t comfortable leaving them alone, but Jamie had the feed to his security cameras pulled up. Without being asked, he’d turned the monitor so I could see it from where I stood near the open office door, ready to spring into action.

“Relax, Janerek. She needs time to decompress and your over-the-top protective hovering won’t help,” Jack said.

“Says the asshole who bit my head off when I joked about asking Meg out during the Wyatt Fundraiser.”

“If I remember correctly, he wasn’t being a protective asshole that night, he was a jealous one,” Jamie laughed.

“What am I missing?” Jay asked.

“Nothing,” Jack said as I started telling the story. “Your brother had it bad for Meg, but refused to admit it.”

Jamie coughed, “Mirror.”

“What was that Sheppard?”

He smirked and cleared his throat, then over-annunciated, “Have you looked in a mirror lately?”

I hadn’t. Nor did I intend to, not in the sense he meant. I had it bad for Blake, there was no point in denying it, but she’d never go for a guy like me. I couldn’t tell them why, but she deserved so much better.

“Whatever,” I said, flipping him the bird.

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