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“No.” Haylee frowned. It wasn’t like Cherish not to follow through, but the few times they’d attempted to even talk about it, they had ended up sideways. Not that she wanted to tell her brother that.

“Oh my God. Did you sleep with her?”

“What?” Haylee choked out the word, her cheeks instantly heating with embarrassment.

“You did. I can’t believe you. You work with her.”

Well, that wasn’t a first, not that Jackson needed to know that. And it probably wouldn’t be a last either. Work was one of the most common ways to meet someone, since they all spent the majority of their time there. But she also wasn’t going to have that argument with him.

“It’s none of your business.”

“It damn sure is, especially when you get fired over it. And then this plan to go behind her back to find another job? You’re such an idiot sometimes. This is going to get you fired in two seconds flat.”

“It’s not!” Why was he always so good at saying her fears out loud? Damn him for being so astute sometimes. “It’ll be fine. No one knows. I don’t have to quit my job in order to make this happen. But, Jackson, I can’t give this up. You know I can’t.”

The silence was deafening.

Haylee wished he would say something, anything, so that she would know he was still there and ultimately that he was rooting for her through all of this.

Jackson finally scoffed. “I can’t believe you sometimes.”

“I’ve thought this through.”

“Have you? Where are you living, Haylee? Hmm? Who paid your phone bill this month?”

She didn’t want to answer him. She didn’t have to because they both knew who had paid it. He had. And it was so she could still have these frustrating conversations with him and so their parents wouldn’t skin her alive if they couldn’t get hold of her whenever they needed to.

“I won’t get fired over this.”

“You don’t know that. And you need the job.”

“I know I need the job!” Haylee’s voice rose too loudly. She winced as it echoed through the lobby. She really shouldn’t be having this conversation here, but where else was she supposed to do it? Everywhere she went there were other people. Couch surfing was not made for privacy seekers. “I won’t lose my job, okay? And I’ll pay you back for the phone bill.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Jackson sighed heavily, his voice dropping as if resigned to the situation. “I just want you to think things through before you jump to the next thing. That’s what got you into so much trouble in the first place.”

“I’ve had this job for almost a year now. Can’t you trust me?” She knew she shouldn’t have asked the question, because his answer was going to be no. He didn’t trust her to keep the job. Hell, she didn’t trust herself to keep it either.

She also knew he was right.

Talking to Allegra put everything at risk.

“Listen, I’ve got to go. My lunch break is up.”

“Just be careful, Haylee. I don’t want you to end up in a worse spot than you’re already in.”

“I’ll try,” she answered.

“I love you, Stinker.”

She smiled at the familiar nickname from childhood. “Love you too, Jackjack.”

Hanging up, Haylee rolled her shoulders, but the stress wouldn’t back off. She didn’t have another choice now. She had to make this work. She couldn’t fail. She couldn’t let Cherish be the be-all and end-all of her life. Not now. Not when she was so close to getting everything that she wanted. When she was about to make something good happen for people who truly deserved it.

“He’s wrong,” Haylee mumbled to herself. “I can do this. I will.”

twenty-six

The turndown from Haylee for a lunch date had shocked Cherish more than she realized. She had watched Haylee walk away in confusion and at a loss. Which was exactly what Cherish was experiencing.