Page 112 of Sergeant O'
“There’s a video of you and Sylvia outside the diner making the rounds. Somebody posted it to the Haven Springs page, and the comments are a damn circus.”
I groaned, dragging a hand over my face. “Fantastic.”
“You and Jade still good?”
I hesitated. “I don’t know.”
I was going to have to go next door and see if I could pump Lainey for information about whether Jade had seen the video yet.
Nonchalantly, of course.
Chapter Fifty-Five
Brian
I told myself I was just stopping by to return Lainey’s keys and see the baby, which sounded a hell of a lot better thanI just wanted to check if your sister had seen the newest video going round.
Lainey opened the door with Conor balanced on her hip and a scowl that told me that at leastshehad seen it.
My suspicions were quickly confirmed when she remarked, “So, you and Sylvia, huh?”
“It’s not what it looks like.”
“Apparently it never is with you.”
Okay, I deserved that.
Before I could defend myself, she added, “Jade found it interesting.”
I closed my eyes tight and groaned, “Fuck.”
Of course she did.
Lainey tilted her head, assessing me. “You want to tell me why your ex—who’s suddenly separated from her husband—is telling reporters you’re dating again?”
“She ambushed me outside the diner,” I said. “Wrapped herself around me while a reporter was filming. I tried to push her off, but she wouldn’t let go.”
“And you just… stood there?”
“I didn’t want to feed the story. The reporter asked if we were back together, and Sylvia ran with it. I figured if I said nothing, maybe it’d take the heat off Jade.”
Lainey’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah, well, it didn’t.” She shifted Conor on her hip and added, “The timing seems awfully convenient, considering you were the one to suggest to Jade that you both date other people.”
“Is that you or your sister talking?”
Lainey shrugged. “Both, I guess.”
“I’ll talk to her.”
“I think you should.” She started to close the door but paused to add, “But don’t expect her to make it easy on you. She’s hurt, and you earned that.”
Without another word, the door clicked shut.
I stood there for a moment, replaying Lainey’s words in my head. She wasn’t wrong.
I knocked on the door again, and she answered it with raised eyebrows.
“What do I even say?”
