Page 107 of The Bodyguard

“What a question,” her mother said, eyebrows raised. “I’ve been able to do most everything I want in my life, yet somehow, a decision I made years ago keeps hurting my daughter.” She scorned. “What’s wrong?This. I’m so tired of it.”

Angela had never heard a defeatist word from her mother before. It unnerved her.

Her mom paced to the corner of the hospital bed and examined the monitor and IV bag. Her gold bangles clinked as she crossed her arms and then, turning on a high heel, moved to Angela’s bedside. “What do you want to do?”

Angela’s eyes darted to Sawyer and back to her mother. “What do you mean?”

“What do you want your life to be like?” her mother pressed.

Sawyer. Angela wanted Sawyer. That wasn’t an option. It wasn’t even a possible question. At least not in the way that she wanted. She closed her eyes and imagined her apartment in Abu Dhabi, how she managed the ACES team and went out for drinks with her girlfriends. She wanted to watch her friends as they brought new babies into the world—Angela wanted to be with her friends, the people she worked with so closely, as they navigated their unconventional lives. More than anything,Angela wanted to see Sawyer every day, knowing they’d once had a connection so hot it could burn Abu Dhabi to the ground. They’d return to normal but would always have a secret of their own. “I want life to return to normal.”

“Oh, thank God.” Her mother’s gold-bangled hand pressed to her heart. “It’s been so many years since we’ve had that.” Theatrics finished, her mother squared her shoulders as if she’d done a good day’s work. “That’s perfect, and I was hoping that might be what you’d say. So, just in case luck was on my side, I brought Paul with me.”

Angela choked. “What?”

Her mother didn’t notice. “I’ll go get him. He’s waiting in the hall. Finally, everything can go back to normal.”

“No.” Angela drew back. “What are you talking about?”

Her mother frowned, hand resting on the door. She pulled back, eyebrows arched. “You said normal? Before Pham took you. Before you broke off your engagement.Normal.”

“We weren’t engaged,” Angela managed through clenched teeth. She looked at Sawyer, stoic and expressionless as a statue, then back at her mother, confidently over the top and wrong about everything. Incredulous, Angela shook her head. “My normal. As in: I go back to work. I go back home.” No comprehension registered on her mother’s face. “To Abu Dhabi.”

Her mother’s face remained frozen for a second too long as she evidently ran the calculations of the negotiation. Finally, she cackled, having apparently decided that ridicule was the right move. “Angela, that can’t last forever.”

“Why not?”

She composed herself and then turned to Sawyer. “Mr. Cabot, would you please excuse us?”

“Mother,” she snapped, “if someone’s leaving this room, it’s not—”

“I’ll step out, Ange.”

“I don’t want you to.” But his discomfort was evident, and Angela relented. “Fine. Only for a few minutes.”

The door quietly shut behind Sawyer. Her mother paced from one side of the bed to the other. “By the way, your father says hello and to feel better.”

Angela’s lips rolled together. “I’ll call him later.”

“He’d appreciate that.” Her mother took a seat and rubbed her temples. “This isn’t just about me.”

Angela wasn’t convinced.

“Paul misses you.”

Angela snort-laughed. “Are you crazy?”

“He misses you.”

“No, Mother, he doesn’t. More importantly,Idon’t miss him.”

“You’ve been focused on other things. How could you miss anyone when you’re so focused on your job?”

“We weren’t actually a couple. You should ask him about that. More like business partners.”

“Exactly like your father and me. We have a fantastic partnership. Successful careers. Financial stability. A wonderful daughter.”

“Did you ever want more, Mom?”

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