Page 27 of Jezebel's Liberation

I switch calls. “Hello?”

“I’ll be back this afternoon,” Phantom says.

I do my best not to groan. “Got everything sorted out east?”

“Yeah. Took me longer than I was hoping, but I had to find someone to take over the lease of my apartment since I won’t be coming back.”

That’s news to me.

“Where the hell will you live?”

“I thought that was obvious.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Enlighten me,” I snarl.

“I’m not leaving Jez again,” he replies, his tone guarded but firm.

“And if she doesn’t want you here?”

“Are you worried about her… or you?” he fires back.

Desperate to change the subject, I ask, “What time does your flight land?”

“Two forty.”

“Good, find your own way home.”

I disconnect the call and toss my phone onto the cushion beside me.

“That was rude.”

Whipping my head in the direction of the stairs, I smirk when I spot Jez glaring at me.

“Do you wanna deal with airport traffic?”

She scrunches up her nose. “No.”

“Didn’t think so.”

I watch her carefully as she walks toward me. There’s less weariness in her expression, and her eyes even light up a little the closer she gets. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t realize how readable she is because if she did, she’d surely put a better mask in place.

“So, what’re we gonna do until Phantom gets home?” she asks.

“This is his home now?” I snarl.

Damn her, she only shrugs. “It seems so, even if it is temporary.”

“Might wanna tell him that,” I mutter.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she demands, sitting on the opposite end of the sofa.

Once again, I’m saved from having to answer a question because of an incoming call. When I lift my phone and glance at the screen, my stomach drops.

“Hey, Prez,” I say when I answer.

Jez immediately stiffens and moves to get up, but I lean forward and snag her wrist to drag her back down to sit next to me. Then, making sure she’s paying attention, I put the call on speaker.

“I told you I wanted an update in forty-eight hours,” he snaps. “It’s been forty-eight hours and twenty minutes.”

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