Page 40 of Redemption

“It’s not nothing. I…” I knew I just needed to get it over with. Just say it. “This is weird, right?”

“Is it?” He tilted his head, biting his lips as if to quell his amusement.

He wasn’t going to make this easy on me, was he?

“Oh, come on, Jackson. You know it is. This trip. Us.” I gestured between us. “We haven’t seen each other in years, and now we’re trapped on a boat together. Pretending to be a couple.”

“Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “It is a little strange.”

I scoffed. “A little?”

“Okay. A lot,” he admitted, and I finally felt a little better. “Though it’s not the first time we’ve had to deal with weird and awkward situations.”

“True.”

“Remember that time Greer came home early from Logan’s and almost caught us?”

I laughed even though it hadn’t been funny. But it was sort of comical because of how ridiculous the situation had been.

The front door to my apartment opened then shut, and I jolted. “Jackson,” I hissed, realizing that Greer had come home earlier than expected. “Get dressed.”

Jackson had come over late after his shift at the club ended since Greer was at Logan’s. He still hadn’t told her about being discharged from the SEALs. And we definitely hadn’t told her about us.

“Hmm.” He nuzzled into my neck, his body wrapped around mine.

“Jackson.” I elbowed him. “Get up. Greer’s home.”

“Shit.” He jumped out of bed and grabbed his jeans, putting them on without his boxers.

I launched myself out of bed, throwing on the first thing I could find. “What are we going to do?”

“Sloan!” Greer called from the living room. “I’m home. Let’s go to brunch and get drunk on dollar mimosas.”

“I—” I called, gesturing at Jackson to hurry the hell up. “Be right there.” I hopped on one foot, pulling on my running tights.

“Maybe we should just tell her,” I whispered.

“I can’t.” He shook his head. “Not after…” He sighed. “I promised.”

“You also promised her you wouldn’t sleep with me,” I hissed.

“You think she’d forgive us, but are you really willing to take that chance?”

I couldn’t do that to Greer. She’d already been through so much. She’d lost her dad, and I knew how much Jackson meant to her. How much she meant to me.

“Fine,” I sighed, knowing he was right. Besides, emerging from my room together, smelling of sex, was definitely not the way to break the news.

Jackson glanced at the window as if searching for an escape. I grabbed his arm and whispered, “You’re not scaling four stories.”

He eyed the drop before shrugging. “I could.”

“Just…” I glanced around as if hoping the answer would come to me. It had to. “Let me go first.”

“Sloan?” Greer called, her voice getting closer. “Are you okay?”

“Do you trust me?” he asked as I peered up at him.

“Always.”