Page 49 of The Surrender

He laughs, not in humour, and scrubs a hand down his face. I need to distract him from his misplaced guilt, and the text that lands from Abbie is the perfect way.

“We’re having dinner with my friends tomorrow night,” I tell him, allowing a small part of my brain to consider the fact that my friends are obviously keen, but for what reason? To grill him? To accept him? I fear it’s the former, but that might lead to the latter.Might.Can he take the heat?

Jude nods, taking my hand and checking the dressing. “This needs changing.”

“Then change it,” I say, giving him something to do. He looks shook. Dazed. “Jude?”

He gives me sorry eyes. “Please don’t die on me.”

What on earth? My settling heart turns in my chest, and despite not being ready, I get off the stool and put myself between his thighs, wrapping him in my arms. His raw vulnerability kills me.

And once again I think about Evelyn Harrison. And how Jude hardly ever mentions his father. “I’m not going to die.” The way heclings to me breaks my heart. Now feels like the right moment to ask about the pills, but when he pulls away and looks up at me, his face a map of pain, I just can’t bring myself to make him explain. He’s given me so much today. So I say something else instead, hoping to lift him. “I love you.”

“You came to tell me, didn’t you? The night you found Katherine here.”

I nod, feeling his rough cheeks, scanning every inch of his face.

“I’ve loved you for a while,” he says softly. “I tried to tell you so many times but couldn’t find the words.”

“We got there in the end.”

“It’s not the end.” Picking me up, he carries me back to the bedroom, laying me down and hugging me. “This hug won’t lead to sex,” he mumbles against my neck.

I sigh and sink into the mattress, Jude crowding me. Everything feels so right.

“Amelia?” he whispers.

“Yeah?”

“I’ve got you.”

“I’ve got you too,” I reply quietly. “Always.”

Chapter 13

I’ve been a nervous wreck all day at work, worrying about dinner tonight with Jude and my friends, my concentration shot to bits. I couldn’t even devote any attention to the fact that Sue mentioned in passing that she and Leo met at a friend’s anniversary party. He said they met on the golf course, while he was smiling down at his pasta, rather coy. It’s none of my business, but it would explain why Sue passed on a valuable client. Wise. And I should be wise too, so I’ve decided I know nothing about Sue and Leo.

As I’m leaving work, Leighton exits his office, and I groan to myself, bracing for a strong dose of him. It would have been too good to be true, avoiding him two days on the bounce. He joins me on my walk to the elevators. I can smell the mockery brewing on him.

“Good day?” he asks.

“Great.”

“So you managed to fix your fuckup with the merger.”

I stop and take a deep, calming breath, before I get myself fired for assault on a colleague. “I didn’t fuck up.”

“Oh, okay. It looked like you fucked up, but fair do’s if you didn’t and even fairer do’s if you did and somehow managed to save the situation and convince the partners you were in control the whole time.”

My teeth grind together. “Are you done being a complete bellend?”

His hand slaps on his chest. “I thought we were friends.”

“Did you?”

“Would love to chat, but I’m off to meet Kimpton Kellers.”

My hand pauses on its way to the call button. “Kimpton Kellers?”