Page 79 of Penn

I bend over, press my lips to her forehead. I gotta go but this doesn’t seem right. Leaving her in this state feels like leaving a piece of me behind.

“I’ll text when I land,” I say. “And I’ll be back tonight.”

She smiles, soft and sleepy. “Go win a game.”

I bend down again and gently kiss the top of her head. “Stay in bed. Rest. And when I get back, we’re gonna start building that forever.”

I don’t wait for an answer. I already know what I’m playing for.

CHAPTER 28

Mila

The second Penn’sG-Wagon disappears down the driveway, the weight of what I’m about to do settles fully on my chest. The guilt is overwhelming, but it’s competing with the equally strong conviction that I’m doing the right thing for both of us.

I give it ten seconds. Maybe fifteen. Then I’m moving.

I race upstairs where all my clothes are still in the guest room. First order of business: a text to Malik.I’m ready.

I duck into the shower, scrubbing quickly, regrets competing with affirmations running in my head on a loop. I have to believe Penn will forgive me for what I’m about to do. I dry off, throw on jeans and a sweater, pull my damp hair into a loose braid, and glance out the window. I see Jackson’s Suburban in the driveway. He’s leaning against it, arms crossed over his chest, a neutral expression on his face. But the sharp way his eyes roam the area tells me he’s very much on duty.

Nabbing my purse and tossing my phone in it, I set the alarm before walking out the front door. And then a horrible thought strikes me.

“Fuck,” I yell, and Jackson pushes off the SUV, on high alert. I point at the house. “The alarm. The notification I just armed the system will go to Penn. Goddamn it… he’s probably watching the camera right now.”

Jackson chuckles, opening the door and motioning me in. “We bypassed the system on our end so you could get out of the house without alerting Penn.”

“Oh,” I say thickly, realizing I’d suck as a secret agent. “That was… um… smart.”

“We are quite capable,” he says dryly.

I climb in and fasten my seat belt by the time Jackson slides into the driver’s seat. I’m a bundle of nerves, my stomach roiling and not from the fake food poisoning.

The SUV is cozily heated, music quietly playing. We pull away from the house, through the front gate, and Jackson glances at me.

“You sure about doing this?” he asks.

My stomach twists. “Of course I am. I trust you to protect me.”

Jackson’s brows rise ever so slightly. “I was more inquiring about you lying to Penn.”

I turn in my seat to look at him. “You think I’m wrong to do this?”

He’s quiet for a beat, then shakes his head. “Not my place to say. I don’t know your dynamics. Every couple’s got their thing.”

“Well…” I sigh, settling back into the seat. “I’m good with it. And I hope he’ll understand.”

Jackson doesn’t comment on that, which says more than words.

The drive to Jameson feels short despite the miles. Maybe because my nerves are strung so tight, I’ve lost all sense of time.

Inside HQ, the atmosphere is all business. I follow Jackson down the hall to the same conference room we’d been in before, and when the door opens, my eyes immediately lock on Peter sitting at one end of the table.

It’s the first time I’ve seen him since he surprised me.

He looks the same—pale and tired—but there’s something less guarded about him now. He rises to his feet when I enter, hands tucked awkwardly into the pockets of his jeans.

“Hey,” I say, my voice flat but not unkind.

---