Page 5 of Heal You (The Study You #3)

“I should have known something was going on,” Jan said before sipping her whiskey. “Gillian and Finn don’t know, but Phil and I have been seeing a marriage counsellor for almost seven months. I just…felt as though I was losing him, and I couldn’t put my finger on why.”

“Oh.” Morgan’s brows shot up. So, Jan had been suspicious of something. She just didn’t know what. “A marriage counsellor.”

“I know. It’s ridiculous, the money we wasted on it. But it was the only thing I could think of in that moment. That moment when I knew everything had become routine and a little bit lifeless. Then I saw how happy Gillian was with Finn, and I wanted my own marriage to be like that.”

Morgan completely understood. Gillian and Finn were so in love that Morgan rolled her eyes most of the time.

But really, she was just jealous she didn’t have a relationship like that.

She’d love to be in that position, of course she would, but there never seemed to be enough hours in the day or the right woman walking through the door.

Amanda had been the perfect remedy, really.

“I’m sorry you’ve been going through this alone. ”

Jan smiled as she mindlessly and most likely subconsciously stroked her thumb across Morgan’s knuckles. “I’ve always been the problem solver. I’ve always been the one people come to when they need advice. Now that I’m in this position, I don’t quite know what to do with myself.”

“That’s understandable. When I found out about Amanda yesterday, I hid away for a few hours. Even though it wasn’t anything serious between us, I was still hurt by it. And like you, I didn’t know who to turn to.”

“Then I’m sorry you’ve also been dealing with things alone.”

Morgan smiled and squeezed Jan’s hand. “Look, I’ve always been a loner. I’m used to it. But when it comes to you…I am here if you need to vent.”

“That’s very sweet of you, Morgan. Thank you.”

“Top up?” Morgan eyed Jan’s glass, instantly switching into bar owner mode. She didn’t like to see people with empty glasses.

“Why not. I have no home to go back to.” Jan handed her glass over, choosing not to down what remained in it.

Morgan busied herself in the kitchen, her hand tingling where Jan had been holding onto it so tightly.

She didn’t think Jan was aware of what she was doing, but Morgan wouldn’t complain.

That soft skin pressing against her own…

God, Morgan itched just to have a conversation with this woman most of the time.

As she turned back to the couch, Jan was looking down at her phone. “He’s fucking unbelievable.”

“Your husband?” Morgan asked, placing both glasses down. “Has he contacted you?”

“Yes.” Jan handed her phone over to Morgan. There was a message waiting on the screen.

Look, Jan. You may not want to see me or speak to me, but you cannot possibly blame me for all of this.

We were stale, love. We had no fun in our lives.

I thought that by giving in to the attention from Anais it would spice things up for us.

I did it for us. Please come home so I can make it up to you. I still love you.

Wow. What a piece of shit. Right now, Morgan hoped that Jan wouldn’t fall for her husband’s bullshit. How could he possibly shift the blame onto her? He’d been the one who couldn’t keep his dick in his pants. “That’s…yeah, I don’t really know what to say to that.”

“Maybe I should find someone to fuck tonight and throw it right back at him. See how he likes it!”

While Morgan would happily insist Jan assume the position, spread out naked on her bed, now wasn’t ideal. She lay a hand on Jan’s knee this time, hoping she felt the support in her touch. “Hey, don’t even rise to him. It’s probably what he wants, so he can use it against you.”

“How can he say that to me? And if that’s what he truly believes, then it clearly didn’t work out for him.” Jan scoffed. “He did it to spice things up? I’m not sure he knows the meaning of the word!”

“Why don’t you stay here tonight? It’s one less thing for you to worry about, and I don’t really like the idea of you leaving this bar on your own and not knowing what the plan or next step is.”

“No, I couldn’t ever ask that of you.”

“I offered. I’d sleep much better tonight knowing that you’re safe in my bed.”

Jan’s cheeks reddened as she dipped her head and looked down at her hands in her lap. Then her gaze shifted to Morgan’s hand on her knee. “Is that why you invited me up here?”

“Oh, fuck. No. I swear it wasn’t.” Morgan swiftly pulled her hand away and inched back on the couch a little.

She may be into Jan, but she absolutely hadn’t invited her up here with any intentions of sleeping with her.

She hadn’t even known that Jan was technically available until after they’d reached her flat.

“I meant that you could take my bed, and I’d sleep here. On the couch.”

“I’ll take the couch. If you’re sure you don’t mind.”

Morgan wanted to argue that Jan should sleep in her bed and not on the couch, but she didn’t want to scare Jan off.

So long as she was warm and safe tonight, Morgan didn’t care what happened next.

The likelihood was that Jan would wake up in the morning and see things differently, and Morgan would never be alone with her like this again.

Don’t let this become another Amanda situation all over again.

“If you want the couch, the couch it is.”