Page 70 of Worth the Wait

Me: Christine's made her move.

My heart thunders against my ribs as I wait for Jackson's response. When it comes, it's immediate.

Jackson: On my way to your office.

I pace the confines of my office, mentally cataloging the potential damage. Professional reputation I've spent years cultivating. Junior counsel position. Christine's triumph. The suffocating reality crashes over me.

I waited too long. We should have told Miguel weeks ago. I have nobody to blame but myself.

Jackson appears in my doorway, concern etched across his features. He closes the door behind him, crossing to me in three long strides.

"She told Miguel," I blurt out, the words tumbling over each other. "Christine. She's prepared an 'ethics overview' for him."

His hands find my shoulders, solid and steady. The warmth of his palms seeps through my silk blouse, anchoring me when I feel like I might fly apart.

"Breathe, Tarryn," he says, voice low and calm. "We don't know exactly what she said or how Miguel's reacted. Let's not spiral before we have facts.”

"Facts?" I pull away, resuming my pacing. "The facts are we should have gone to Miguel weeks ago. We should have controlled the narrative before Christine could twist it.”

Jackson exhales slowly, running a hand through his hair. "I know. I said as much a while ago. But you weren’t ready, and I didn’t push it.”

I stop, guilt twisting like glass in my chest. "So now it’s on me?”

"No," he says quickly, firmly. "It’s on both of us. We made that decision together. And we can’t go back, but wecandecide what to do next.”

I look at him, the weight of his steadiness grounding me even as my world tilts. "So what do we do?”

He steps closer. "We tell him the truth," Jackson says simply. "All of it. Our history, how we reconnected here, when things changed between us. Full transparency. No spin.”

"And if that’s not enough?" I whisper, voicing the fear that's been choking me.

His fingers graze my jaw, a soft anchor. "Then we deal with the fallout. Together."

The promise in that single word—together—steadies something inside me. I take a deep breath, straightening my spine. He’s right.

Miguel's expressionremains carefully neutral as we sit across from his imposing desk forty minutes later. We've just finished explaining everything—our high school relationship, our reconnection at Blake, our recent decision to pursue a relationship despite professional complications.

"So let me get this straight," Miguel says finally, leaning back in his chair. "You two have known each other since high school, dated seriously before college, and reconnected here at Blake Financial, where you've recently resumed a romantic relationship—all while competing for the same promotion."

Put that way, it sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. I fight the urge to squirm in my seat, acutely aware of Jackson beside me.

"Yes," Jackson answers simply. "That's correct."

Miguel's eyes narrow slightly. "And you didn't think this was information I should have been made aware of?"

"In retrospect, we should have disclosed our history earlier," I admit, forcing myself to maintain eye contact. "But when Jackson first joined the firm, we hadn't seen each other in eight years. There was nothing to disclose except a past connection."

"And when did that change?" Miguel's gaze is piercing.

Jackson reaches for my hand—a bold move that surprises me. I fight the urge to pull away. "That's a recent development. We're here now because we want to be transparent before rumors or misunderstandings complicate the situation."

Miguel studies our joined hands, his expression thoughtful. "I appreciate your coming forward, though I wish it had been earlier." He sighs, running a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. "I assume you found out Christine has made her opinions on the matter known?"

“Yes, and she’s right that we should have come forward sooner,” I say diplomatically, unwilling to throw her under the bus despite everything.

A flicker of something—amusement, perhaps?—crosses Miguel's face. “Well, I can’t be angry with either of you. Tarryn, I don’t have to remind you the mishaps I made along the way with my wife, Mia.” He shakes his head and it makes me chuckle,remembering when he first came aboard Blake Financial, covered in glitter and random stickers from his young daughter.

“I remember.” I smile, hoping that shared memory softens whatever is about to come next.

---