Page 11 of Isolated (Harper Security Ops #21)

Landen

“Are you sure everything’s okay?”

It was the second time I’d asked that question, hoping for a real answer. But once again, I was met by a bout of silence and hesitation.

That immediate response was enough for me to know that I was justified in asking to begin with. The problem was that I had a feeling I wasn’t going to get much of an answer the second time around.

And that was what made this so difficult.

Because I wasn’t the kind of guy who could sit back in most situations when I believed I could help someone. In this case, I was helpless.

For as long as I’d known Iris, I hadn’t ever seen her like this. Today was Tuesday, and there was something about the way she’d been during our workout sessions this week that just didn’t seem right.

I thought back to last week to see if I could recall anything that stood out as strange—to summon any memory of something I might have done to bring this on—but I couldn’t come up with anything.

Not everything was strange, though. For the past two days, Iris had been at the gym in the morning—even arriving before me, like usual—but even if she was physically present, it was clear to me that her mind was elsewhere.

I hadn’t said anything about it yesterday, but it had bugged me enough that when she arrived again today in the same state, I couldn’t ignore it. So, I’d asked her at the start of our workout if she was okay, and Iris had insisted that everything was fine.

With no reason not to trust her, I accepted her response as the truth.

But over the course of the last hour or so, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

Now that we’d finished another session and were heading out—now that I knew I wouldn’t see her again until Thursday morning—I couldn’t stop myself from taking the steps to be certain that there wasn’t anything I could do to help her.

Following several beats of heavy silence, Iris answered, “Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay.”

“You seem distracted,” I noted.

“I’m sorry. I just… It’s been busy at work lately, and I’ve needed to work through some stuff.”

I had no way of knowing for sure, but this felt like something that was a lot more than just an increased workload at the office.

But who was I to call her out on it? If Iris didn’t intend to share more than she just had, if she didn’t feel that she could trust me with whatever it was, I couldn’t exactly force her .

But what I could do was let her know where I stood, in case she changed her mind.

Shaking my head, I insisted, “There’s no need for an apology. You didn’t do anything wrong. You just don’t seem like yourself, and I was worried.”

“I know I’ve been a bit down in the dumps for the past couple of days. I had some things pop up that haven’t exactly been ideal, so it’s left me feeling a bit preoccupied. I promise to do better here on Thursday.”

Iris sounded so downtrodden. There was such a sense of doom and gloom and something else. Failure, maybe?

The sound of her voice matched what I’d witnessed from her in the gym the past two days.

I’d been significantly more cautious and watchful of her when she was doing any of her sets, because she seemed so sluggish.

It was like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, and I wasn’t convinced she’d be able to get through her workouts like usual without getting injured.

Seeing her like this bugged the crap out of me. It just wasn’t Iris.

Instinctively, I reached out for her hand and offered a reassuring squeeze.

“I didn’t bring this up because I was looking for you to mask whatever’s going on the next time that I see you.

I simply noticed you’ve been struggling, and I wanted to offer a listening ear.

If there’s anything I can do to help, even if it’s just to give you someone to vent to, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’d be more than happy to help.”

Her fingers twitched in my hand as she sent a genuine smile of appreciation my way. “Thank you, Landen. Just hearing you say that means the world to me right now. ”

I returned the smile, begrudgingly releasing my hold on her at the same time. “You’re welcome.”

We were standing just outside the entrance to the gym. Iris had shifted her attention to the front door for a moment before returning her focus to me. “Lately, it’s like this place is the only place that feels normal for me.”

“The gym?”

She nodded. “I know that’s weird.”

“It’s not weird. For what it’s worth, coming here is one of the highlights of my day, too.

” I had to force myself to stop speaking, because if I didn’t, it was entirely possible I would have shared with Iris exactly why the gym was such an important part of my day.

Sure, there were all the physical and mental health benefits that came as a result of getting in a rigorous workout, but that wasn’t what it was for me.

If whatever Iris was going through would lead to her needing someone to lean on at any point, I didn’t think it’d be wise to reveal that it was her who made these mornings so much more enjoyable for me. Whatever pressure she was already under, I’d surely be adding to it with such an admission.

“I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who feels that way. Thank you, Landen, for being so understanding. I know you said you don’t need an apology, but I really am sorry if I’ve made your workouts a little less enjoyable.”

I didn’t think it’d be possible for me to ever be around Iris and not feel good. Of course, I’d noticed the change in her this week, but that didn’t mean I didn’t enjoy being around her. It was one thing I couldn’t ever see changing.

“I promise you didn’t ruin anything. As long as I know that you’re okay, that’s all that matters. ”

Iris jerked her chin down with understanding. “I’ll be alright.”

“Okay. But if that changes and you need someone to talk to, I’m your guy.”

I didn’t know if saying that to her would have the same effect on her that hearing her tell me she was my girl if I was heading to another wedding had on me, but I figured it couldn’t hurt.

She smiled again, indicating I hadn’t made a bad choice in saying what I did. “That sounds wonderful. Honestly, I appreciate it.” Iris tucked a lock of hair that had escaped the confines of her ponytail behind her ear. “So, I guess I’ll see you on Thursday morning, then?”

“You will.”

With that, Iris and I turned toward the parking lot and began our trek to our vehicles. Like always, I kept my gaze on her as the distance between us grew, and until she’d pulled out of her spot, I didn’t drive away.

Despite her reassurances that she was fine, for some reason, I couldn’t stop thinking about her for the rest of the day, wishing there was something I could do to get that fun-loving woman back.

By the time I was back in my office the next day, I had assumed I’d be so caught up in my work that the thoughts of Iris would remain tucked away until I’d see her again on Thursday.

It turned out I was only a fool.

There was still something nagging at me about how Iris had been this week, and I couldn’t seem to go for more than an hour without having her pop into my head.

Maybe that was a curse of being a private investigator.

Whenever there was a case to solve, or a problem that needed a solution, I couldn’t rest until I figured it out.

The last thing I wanted was to think about Iris as being a case I needed to solve, but I couldn’t stop worrying about her.

So, when the knock came at my closed office door just before noon, I was glad for whatever reprieve awaited me.

“Yeah? Come in.”

The door opened, and I shot out of my chair as Iris came into view. Was I so caught up in my thoughts of her that I was daydreaming now?

“Iris?”

“Hi, Landen.”

God, she sounded awful. She looked beautiful as ever, but I couldn’t miss the dark cloud that was hanging over her.

It was terrible, and I hated it for more than just what it was doing to Iris.

This woman was such a bright spot in my life—even with only ever having the opportunity to see her for about four to five hours each week—and it killed to see that light had dimmed so much.

If I was honest, she appeared to be even gloomier than she had been yesterday morning.

And that’s when it hit me. It was just before noon on a Wednesday, and something was so terrible that Iris was here in my office instead of at work, a place she seemed to love being until recently.

I was too stunned to see her standing here to bring myself to move.

Whether she thought I needed the explanation, or she simply felt compelled to fill the silence, Iris revealed, "I just met Avalon at the front desk, and when I asked about you, she told me this was where I could find you. I hope I’m not interrupting anything. ”

That got me moving.

I rounded my desk and moved toward her, taking her by the hand and urging her inside. After closing the door behind her, I ushered her into a chair and sat down in the one beside her.

Iris had come here looking for me. No matter what this was about, I was going to give her whatever she needed.

With her hand still in mine, I asked, “Are you okay?”

She shook her head, tears instantly filling her eyes. The sight could have brought me to my knees. “I’m sorry for just showing up like this. I didn’t know where else to go.”

It took what felt like superhuman effort not to react in a way that would indicate my surprise. Though I knew the lengths I’d be willing to go for her, how was it possible that Iris didn’t have anyone but me to go to?

“There’s no need to apologize. Just tell me what’s going on.”

Iris pressed her lips into a thin line, like she was willing to do whatever it took to prevent the words on the tip of her tongue from escaping. Did she not want to tell me, or was she merely nervous about doing it?