Page 118 of The Trade

With that, I remove myself from the group, leaving behind the stunned silence and Cassidy’s gloating smirk. Tonight was supposed to be a reprieve, a chance to forget about all my troubles, but it seems fate has a twisted sense of humor.

The party noise dwindles as I push through the crowd, the mansion receding behind me. I snake my way toward the front, finding myself on the main street. Under the dim, flickering streetlights, I unlock my phone, thumb hovering over the Uber app. That’s when a familiar voice slices through the night.

“Jade,” West calls out, the low timbre piercing my heart.

“Hi,” I breathe out. “What are you doing out here?”

“I’ve been out here for a while now.” He shifts on the balls of his feet, avoiding my gaze. “Just thinking about heading home.”

“Why?”

“I was, uh, a little distracted. Just worried about you, actually.” He runs a hand through his perfectly tousled hair. “I heard Miller was creeping on you, but I didn’t know if you’d want me to intervene.”

“Oh, right.” Against my better judgment, I roll my eyes. “Well, I heard Cassidy gave you a blowjob tonight.”

He takes a step forward, eyes flashing. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Nope, it came straight from the horse’s mouth.”

“Jade.” He gives me a pleading look. “I swear to you, that did not fucking happen.”

“I know it didn’t.”

He reels back. “You do?”

“Of course I know you’d never do something like that, especially not when you’ve been trying to win me back.”

A sigh of relief escapes him. “I’m glad you at least believe that. Believe in me, I mean.”

“Mm,” I hum, distracted by my overworked brain.

His eyes search mine. “Were you ...did you still plan on meeting me tomorrow?”

“I was planning on it, but maybe we should just talk now. Could I come over?”

“If that’s what you’d like.” He pulls out his phone, scrolling through the home screen. “I can call us an Uber.”

“Okay.”

The ride to his place is painfully silent, the tension winding tight around us. Even when we’re tucked away in the safety of his bedroom, me perched on the edge of his bed and him sitting stiffly on a rolling chair, the discomfort persists.

“Baby,” he breaks the silence, his voice taut. “There’s so much I want to say to you.”

“Can I go first?”

“Of course.” He swallows thickly. “Whatever you want.”

“There are a few things I figured out this week,” I begin, scooting forward on the mattress, taking his hand. His palm is cold against mine, trembling ever so slightly. “First is that I do trust you. I believe you learned your lesson about keeping secrets, and I don’t think you would do it again.”

“I wouldn’t,” he says, soft and low, his fingers instinctively curling around mine.

“I also realized just how much I missed you,” I continue, my gaze lingering on our intertwined hands before I slowly pull mine away, settling it on my lap. “I’ve been thinking about you so much.”

“You’re always on my mind.” He drags his chair a few inches closer. “You should also know that I—”

“Wait,” I cut in, squeezing my eyes shut for a moment, gathering my strength. “There’s one more thing I need to say first.”

“Okay?”

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