“Yeah, but his sister’s wedding is soon, so he’ll be heading back South in two weeks.” Adriana’s brows rose with curiosity. “Are you thinking about finally seeing him when he’s in town?”
“I can’t.” Her shoulders slumped. “The case I’m working . . . the timing would be bad.”
“Trust me when I tell you the timing is never right. And then when it is, you realize you waited too long, and you don’t have any time left on your side.”
Ana forced a nervous smile.
“I have your back, though. Whatever you need.” Adriana nodded. “This city can eat you alive, so just know I’m here for you. When you’re ready.”
When I’m ready to face the sexy Southern SEAL? Sure. But Adriana was right about the city. The harsh reality of what happened in D.C. when Ana was a teenager clung to her like a persistent ghost. The hovering dark shadow followed her everywhere, but for the first time, she was hopeful she’d finally be able to let go of the past and move on. Set the truth free.
Adriana lifted a framed photo out of the box. “This the ex?”
Ana tucked a hand in the back pocket of her jeans as she closed the space between them. Remorse was all she felt when eying the photo of her and Kyle standing on a beach in Bali for their honeymoon, which had been paid for by Kyle’s parents. They’d paid for the wedding, too. He’d never let her forget that. Neither had his parents.
“Yeah, that’s Kyle.” She reached for the photo and tucked it back inside the box. “We don’t need to unpack this one.” She could have sworn she had a red X somewhere on the outside as a reminder it didn’t need to be opened—just like she’d done with the boxes full of her childhood memories.
After folding the flaps back inside to close the box, she removed it from the stack and carried it to the storage area beneath the stairs.
“Was he FBI, too?” Adriana asked when Ana had returned.
Ana’s ex was another topic Adriana had rarely broached. She danced and skirted around with finesse, but she never fully colored inside the lines.
“Yeah. He’s currently stationed at an FBI attaché overseas in Hungary.” Ana opened a new box, needing to make herself busy. Get rid of the knot in her stomach that was working its way to her throat. “He took a new role within the Bureau about a year ago. But yeah, we first met at the Charlotte field office.”
“So, he moved before the divorce?”
Ana frowned. That tug of guilt yanking a bit harder at Adriana’s innocent question. “Yeah. He was offered a job abroad. He said yes without talking to me first. And I said no to moving.” It was a lot more complicated than that, but she didn’t want to go down the rabbit hole that was her marriage, which might prompt more questions Ana wasn’t prepared to discuss. Too much baggage to unpack after a day of actually unpacking boxes. “It wasn’t meant to be.”
Of course, Kyle didn’t want the divorce. And for the first half of his time overseas, he kept calling. Trying to work things out. Eventually, he stopped calling as much.
Adriana gave a slight nod, accepting the conversation was over. She went back to unpacking, alternating between sips of wine and unwrapping decorations.
“You think that maybe you’d want to go to Wyatt and Natasha’s wedding?”
“My coming-out party?” Ana joked. “Are you hoping if the truth about our friendship is spilled while everyone is drunk and happy at the wedding, you’ll take less heat?”
“Look at that,” Adriana said with a playful smile, “you already know me so well.”
They clinked glasses, but the very idea of showing up at Wyatt’s wedding had her palms sweating. Pulse fluttering a touch faster.
But because of her current case, the timing of the wedding was horrible, let alone to be friends with A.J. and the others. The feeling of defeat swiftly wormed its way in to destroy her hope for a chance at some sense of normalcy in her life. Or hell, a sense of romance. Real, unadulterated passion she’d never experienced before.
“I still can’t believe Wyatt’s getting married,” Ana deflected instead of answering Adriana’s original question about going to the wedding. “Based on what I remember when working with Wyatt, he didn’t seem like he wanted to settle down.” A British bad boy. A charmer like A.J.
“I guess you never know when you’re going to meet the one.” Adriana’s comment was packed full of so much meaning, and nope, she wouldn’t be unpacking that one tonight, either. Boxes were easier than feelings.
Adriana motioned toward the TV mounted on the wall across the room. “We’ve been at this for hours. Maybe we can take a break and watch a movie? You happen to like—” A knock interrupted her words and left her question hanging.
Ana set her wineglass down to go for her lockbox temporarily on the floor by her couch.
“Are you going for your gun?”
Ana retracted her hand from the lockbox, stopping herself from retrieving her FBI-issued Glock 19. “I’m not expecting anyone.” And Adriana also had no clue how dangerous Ana’s current assignment was, which meant yeah, she shouldn’t answer the door without a weapon in hand. Always had to be prepared.
Adriana discarded her wine and went into the hall. “Your case must be inten—”
“What is it?” Ana asked when Adriana dropped her words and faced her.
“Who is it?” And now maybe she did need her gun.
Her friend’s eyes widened. “I guess you weren’t expecting Mr. FBI Attaché ex-husband, right?”
And shit. Really?
“It’s me. You can put your gun away,” her ex called out, loud enough to be heard through the door.
“Guess he knows you well,” Adriana whispered as if unsure as to what to do next.
“One second!” Ana smoothed her palms down the sides of her jean shorts as she made her way to the front door.
“I’ll head out. But if you need me, call.” Adriana grabbed her purse from where she’d set it on the small entrance table in the hall.
“Thank you.” And was Kyle really standing outside her door right now?
When Adriana opened the door, Kyle took an immediate step back on the front porch stoop. His gaze clung to her like he was reading the ticker tape of a breaking news story.
Adriana, in her fitted jeans and red tee, with her glossy dark hair and stunning eyes, resembled Gal Gadot, the actress who’d played Wonder Woman. And Kyle took notice. He’d never been a man to go speechless by a woman’s looks, but then again, maybe petite redheads like Ana just never did that to him.
Kyle forced his gaze past Adriana. “Ana.” His attention on her lasted a fleeting moment before he locked back on Adriana as she attempted to maneuver around him.
“Adriana,” she introduced herself. “I was just leaving. Excuse me.” She peeked back at Ana, an offer in her eyes to reach out if she needed her, and Ana nodded her thanks before Adriana turned and started down the steps to get to her car parked at the curb.
“Hi,” Ana said once she and Kyle were alone inside her townhouse.
“You look good.” He wasn’t even making eye contact, though. He was scoping the scene behind her. Assessing if Ana was alone now with Adriana gone.