Jules doesn’t miss a beat. “It’s about Tate.”
She’s lying, and he knows it. But after a long moment, he jerks his chin. “Five minutes.”
I follow her into a small back office. The door clicks shut behind me, leaving us in silence.
“What do you want, Corbin?” Jules turns, crossing her arms.
The soft pink dress she’s wearing flows around her, but I know what’s underneath. I know the curve of her hips. The smooth plane of her stomach. The way her breath catches when I—
I force the thought away.
“You left.”
Her arms tighten over her chest. “I told you I had to go.”
I shake my head. “Come on, Jules. You told Tate you’d stay. Then you left.”
Her jaw clenches. “You mean I left when your girlfriend showed up?”
I exhale through my nose. “Jules—”
“No, you don’t get to act surprised.” Her voice lowers, her frustration curling around every word. “I’m not interested in sitting at your kitchen table, eating breakfast with you, our son, and the woman you’re seeing. Especially after we… after we…” Her words trail off, but I know where she’s going.
“I didn’t know Susan was stopping by.”
She lets out a sharp breath, turning away.
“I told her she’s not allowed to unexpectedly stop by the house,” I add. “She’s just someone I get drinks with on occasion. It’s nothing serious.”
Jules snorts. “Does she know that? Because it didn’t seem that way.”
I don’t answer.
“Listen,” she sighs, rubbing her forehead. “Last night was a mistake.”
My stomach tightens. “It wasn’t a mistake to me,” I say quietly.
Her shoulders go rigid. “You’re seeing someone, Corbin.”
I step closer. “You think I planned for this to happen?”
Her throat bobs. “I think you should go.”
“I think we need to talk about Tate.” My patience is fraying.
Her expression softens. Barely. “I’ll handle it. I’ll tell him I had a meeting. He’ll understand.”
I exhale slowly, dragging a hand over my jaw. She’s pulling away. And I should let her.
Let her go, Corbin.
I nod. “I’ll go.”
Relief flashes across her face, but it’s tinged with something else. Guilt, maybe. I don’t want to analyze it.
“Is it alright if I order a coffee before I do?” I ask, shifting the conversation. “With everything that happened this morning, I haven’t had a chance to—”
“Yeah.”
