Jason (Blue Halo Book 2)

Courtney tapped her fingers on the old oak bar. It was the most popular bar in Jacksonville. The place where she’d spent many Saturday nights. Too many. Having drinks with friends. Dancing. Laughing.

Tonight felt different. It should feel different good, shouldn’t it? Of course it should. It was her twenty-ninth birthday and a dozen of her friends surrounded her. Everyone had big smiles on their faces and drinks in hand, and some were even working the dance floor like they were Beyonce’s backup dancers.

So why on earth was she standing here on her own, untouched mimosa in hand, feeling… unfulfilled? Yes, unfulfilled. That was it.

She watched her friend Elke shake her ass against a guy she’d met less than an hour ago. The joy on her face was an expression Courtney should be wearing.

Maybe she was having a quarter-life crisis, because, really, who the heck would feel their life was lacking when they had what she did? A great job working at her father’s architect firm—a firm that she would one day take over. A spacious city apartment. Money in the bank. Christ, she was the poster child for “has her life together”.

She lifted the mimosa to her lips, taking her first sip. The fruity drink caused her tongue to tingle. She was just about to take a second sip when a large, heavy arm swung around her shoulders. When she looked up, she almost groaned out loud.

Trent.

She tried to force a smile to her lips but was sure it looked nothing like it should. “Hey, Trent.”

He smiled back, his glazed eyes sliding over her face. Her chest.

Argh, kill me.

“Dance with me, beautiful.”

She almost rolled her eyes. The guy hit on her regularly. Like just-about-every-day regularly. He worked as an accountant in her dad’s firm and Courtney almost spent as much time avoiding him as she did working.

“No, thank you. I don’t feel like dancing.”

Or having you grind up against me.

He leaned down, the stench of beer and cigarettes almost causing her to gag. “Come on, one dance.”

Going for the sweetest, most phony smile she could muster, she repeated, “No, thank you.”

She waited for him to walk away. Of course, he didn’t. Instead, he leaned his head closer. God, why did this guy have such a problem understanding that no meant no? Did he have peanuts for brains?

“What if I say please?”

Oh, well, then that would change everything. The sleazeball would miraculously turn into the prince she’d been waiting for. A prince she was dying to wrap her hands around and dance the night away with.

Courtney swished the contents of her drink, watching the orange liquid, seconds away from throwing it right into his smug, arrogant face, when a hand curved over his shoulder.

“Unless you want to be wearing that mimosa, I’d walk away.”

Courtney’s hand stilled, disbelief mixed with excitement crawling up her spine. It couldn’t be…

She took a step to the side. Trent’s arm dropped, and he mumbled something before walking away. Courtney barely noticed, happy for the first time tonight.

“Jessica!”

Her drink barely touched the bar before she was flinging herself at her cousin, arms wrapping around her best friend’s shoulders, holding her tightly. Jessica’s arms went around her in return.

She hadn’t seen the woman in… God, months. Since the funeral. And Lord, but it felt good to hug her.

Pulling back, Courtney held Jessica’s shoulders in a tight grip, like if she held too loosely, the woman would disappear. “What are you doing here?”

Her cousin lifted one bare shoulder, her straight brown bob bouncing with the movement. “I couldn’t miss my best friend’s last birthday in her twenties.”

Courtney shook her head. There had once been a time when they saw each other every day. Often, multiple times a day. They’d known each other so well that words weren’t even needed to know what the other woman was thinking.

How often did she wish for those days back?

“I’ve missed you,” Courtney whispered.

Jessica’s smile faltered. “I’ve missed you too, cuz.”

For a moment, they just stood there, drinking each other in. Appreciating that they really were in each other’s presence. Then, smile still intact, Courtney turned to the bar. “Let me get you a drink. Are you still loving the strawberry daiquiris?”

Jessica chuckled. “I’m supposed to be buying you a drink. It’s your birthday.”

“Nonsense. You traveled all this way.” Courtney called the bartender over, ordering her friend the drink she knew was her favorite, before swinging back to her cousin. “Now, tell me everything that’s been going on in your life. Don’t leave a single detail out.”

For a second, the edges of Jessica’s mouth pinched, and her brows drew together. The anxiety was only there for a fleeting second—a second of pain, uncertainty, unhappiness—then it disappeared, replaced by an extremely polished smile. “Not much. Still working at Boon Hospital. Still living with Ryan.”

Courtney frowned, at both the fleeting moment of vulnerability and the mention of Ryan. The latter probably wasn’t fair. She’d only met the guy once, at the funeral, and they’d spent barely any time together. It was very possible she’d read him wrong… but her gut told her she hadn’t.

“Everything’s going well with you two?”

Jessica nodded. No words. No smile.

It wasn’t going well. She may not see her friend every day anymore, but she could still read her like a book.

Courtney opened her mouth to ask more about the relationship, to dig deeper, but Jessica spoke before she could. “What about you? How’s work at the big firm?”

Courtney didn’t respond immediately. She didn’t want to talk about herself, but they had all night together. She had time. “It’s fine.”

One of Jessica’s brows rose. “Just fine?”

“Eh. If I’m being honest, it’s a bit mind-numbing.”

Mind-numbing. Could-fall-asleep-at-my-desk-every-single-day numbing. Same thing.

Jessica nodded, a knowing smile on her lips. It was a smile Courtney had seen way too often in her lifetime.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Courtney said before her friend could. “That you told me not to study architecture. That you told me to do something else.”

Jessica leaned forward, touching her arm. “Something more in line with you and who you are. You’re fun and quirky and colorful. You’re a people person.”

Not these days. “You know that Dad wants me to run the business—”

“What I know is that Uncle Gary wants you to be happy. Are you happy?”

For a moment, she paused. Was she? “I don’t know.”

The honest words slipped from her lips. So damn accurate. She didn’t know if she was happy. Which was sad, wasn’t it? Surely that was the one thing people should know about themselves.

“If you were happy,” Jessica said quietly, “you would know.” Her drink was set in front of her, and she took a quick sip. She shook her head, a faraway look coming over her face. Yearning. “Remember the coffee shop we were going to open together?”

Courtney chuckled. “Yeah. We were going to serve the best coffee in town and paint every wall a different color.”

Sigh. The dreams of young teenagers.

“We were going to use Nana’s mugs.” Jessica swirled her drink. “The ones her and Pop collected over the years with all the jokes.”

There were so many. Those silly cups had been her grandparents’ pride and joy. Even after he’d passed, Nan had continued to collect them.

“Nana would have loved that.”

Jessica swallowed. “Maybe one day.”

Courtney frowned at the sad longing in Jessica’s voice. She leaned forward, touching her cousin’s hand. There was the slightest jolt. Her frown deepened, but she didn’t bring attention to it.

“Are you still doing okay? It’s only been a few months since Nan passed away.”

She’d tried to call her as often as possible, but talking on the phone wasn’t the same as being there for someone in person. And with both of them working full-time jobs, that just wasn’t possible. They’d spent a bit of time together in the days following the funeral, but with Ryan always nearby, conversation had been stilted. Awkward even.

Jessica gave a small nod, taking another sip of her drink. “It’s been hard, but she was getting old. Her passing wasn’t unexpected.”

Unexpected or not, it was still a huge blow.

Courtney studied her friend’s face. She didn’t like the hints of dark circles beneath the makeup. The missing sparkle that usually brightened her eyes.

Jessica straightened. “Oh, I got you a present.” She rustled through her handbag.

“You didn’t need to do that—you being here is the present.”

She pulled out a little wrapped box. “I didn’t buy it. It’s something Nan left me. She left me so much, though. I want it to stay in the family, but with you.”

Their nan had left just about everything to Jessica, which was exactly the way it should be.

She tore off the black wrapping paper to find a jewelry box. When she opened the lid, her breath caught. A necklace sat inside, familiar, with the most beautiful gem she’d ever seen. It was a deep blue that sparkled in the bar lights.

“Jessica, I can’t take this. Nan left it to you.”

She tried to hand it back, but Jessica simply took the necklace out of the box and moved behind Courtney, working the latch.

When she came back around, she smiled. “It looks beautiful on you. I knew it would.” Her cousin reached to touch it. As she did, the sleeve of her sweater pulled up, and Courtney noticed dark bruises on her pale skin.

She grabbed her friend’s hand. “What’s this?”

Jessica immediately yanked her arm back, hiding it behind her, out of view. “It’s nothing.”

“Did Ryan do that?”

Jessica’s eyes narrowed. “I said it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it, Courtney.”

“Don’t worry? Jessica, is he hurting you?” God, if he was—

“No. It wasn’t him. And if you bring it up again, I’m leaving.”

“Jessica—”

Jessica lifted her bag.

Courtney’s jaw tensed. “Fine. I won’t bring it up. Just… just tell me you’re safe.”

“I’m safe.” Her response came so quickly that it left a sour taste in Courtney’s mouth. She wanted to push but knew she’d lose her.

“Come on, let’s dance.” Jessica took Courtney’s hand, pulling her to the dance floor.

She didn’t want to dance. She wanted to know who the hell had put those bruises on her cousin’s arm. She wanted to know every little thing about Jessica’s life, even if it was ugly and hard to take. But that wasn’t going to happen. Not tonight, anyway.

Courtney’s eyes popped open, her heart aching.

The arm around her waist tightened, Jason’s breath brushing across her neck. “Everything okay?”

She inhaled deeply. “Yes. I’m okay. I just dreamed about the last time I saw Jessica.”

More of a memory than a dream. But it was crystal clear. So too were the bruises on her friend’s arm.

A small pause. “Tell me about it.”

She didn’t like to think about that last weekend together. Because now she could recognize it for what it was. Her last chance to save Jessica. But she hadn’t.

“It was my twenty-ninth birthday. She surprised me by flying down.” His thumb started a gentle stroke on her hip. “I saw bruises on her arm.”

The stroking paused, just for a moment, then continued. “Ryan?”

She wasn’t sure if it was a question or not. “I think so, but it was never confirmed. I tried talking to her about it. I brought it up so many times while she was down, but every time she cut me off. Or got angry. Or threatened to leave.”

She should have pushed harder.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he whispered against her neck. “But you’re wrong. She knew what you would say. She knew that you would help her. She knew. She didn’t want help. And you can’t help someone who doesn’t want to be helped.”

He’d said that before. And the words were just as powerful then as they were now. She had wanted to help. And if she were honest with herself, she was angry that Jessica hadn’t wanted it.

“Why? Why would she stay with someone who was hurting her?”

It just didn’t make sense in Courtney’s brain.

More stroking against her hip. “It could be a number of reasons. Fear. Shame. Maybe he made her believe she needed him.”

God, she hated the guy. Like, really hated him.

“Or maybe she really did love him and thought he’d change.”

Tears pressed at the back of Courtney’s eyes. “And maybe she’d needed to lean on him after our nana passed, and she felt like he was all she had.”

So many possibilities. They’d never know the truth. No one really knew what happened behind closed doors.

She snuggled closer to Jason. “Thank you.”

“For what?” he asked.

“For always saying what I need to hear.”

Without reply, he pressed a soft kiss against her neck.