Do you ever have one of those days where you can’t stop smiling?

We’ll I’ve had that.

For a week now.

It’s that fucking bad.

The moment that Will, Ty, and I left the office and walked the few blocks to his apartment, like a family, is the moment a ray of sunshine hit me in the chest, eradicating the gloom. That hockey game changed everything and I don’t even know why.

Everything that Will has been doing for Ty and me has been so sweet and thoughtful, I could so easily chalk it up to him being a good man and having a big heart. Even after all he’s been through with his divorce, the man gives without thinking.

And yet some silly, hopeful part of me is starting to wish that maybe it’s not so cut and dry. Maybe Will does think of me as nothing more than his assistant, the daughter of his best friend. Maybe he just wants to help out, to make me feel at home and welcome.

Maybe he’s just lonely himself and wants the company, though I can’t imagine there aren’t any women in this city throwing themselves at him. I mean he’s stupidly good looking, fit as fuck, and rich as hell in a city where there are barely any eligible bachelors. He wouldn’t last a minute.

But somewhere inside me, deep in that part of your heart that churns out the butterflies and the fantasies, somewhere in there I’m hoping that there’s something more to this.

That maybe, just maybe, Will likes me as much as I like him.

And by like, I mean, wanting to screw his brains out.

Because honestly that’s all I’ve been able to think about.

Screwing him.

Fucking him.

Anything with him.

It all started when I caught a glimpse of him changing at his apartment. I was looking for the washroom, and as I passed by his bedroom I noticed he only closed his door halfway.

I also noticed him standing there, totally naked.

I was right. He does not wear underwear.

And I sincerely hope he never does.

I caught him from the side view. He’s totally tanned all over, almost golden, with a firm, strong ass, big thighs and a flat stomach.

And one hell of a huge dick. Of course. That was never a surprise, given that Alyssa and Tiffany have bets going at how many inches it is, but even though I just caught a glance of it before he could catch me looking, it was enough to ruin me for every other man.

And ruined I am. My attraction to Will has been building since I started working for him, there is no doubt about that. The fantasies I’ve started to have are dirty enough to make Samantha Jones on Sex and the City blush. But there was always a hint of the unknown. I had to imagine the images, conjure them up. I’m usually just seeing Will dressed in one of his impeccably tailored suits.

Now that I know what he looks like naked—naked!—something I never thought I’d see, it’s impossible to wipe it from my brain. Every time I look at him, talk to him, even write an email to him, I keep seeing him, nude and gorgeous.

I keep thinking about what it would be like to be nude with him.

Would he be soft and tender?

Rough and hard?

What would it be like for him to push into me—aside from probably hurting a bit. How would it feel to have his heavy weight on top of me, making me feel so feminine and small, his strong, thick muscles against my soft skin?

Then I catch myself because these thoughts are going to go nowhere.

I haven’t been with a man since Jeff, and even then it was at least a year ago, sex I had only because I was fighting so hard for the three of us to become a family. Because I didn’t want Ty to lose his father, because I would do anything for us to overcome it all.

Little good that did me.

I sigh, my face resting in my hand, tapping my pen against the corner of the desk.

It’s Thursday. I’ve had shit-all to do since my father and Will have been on conference calls all morning. I’m counting down the minutes to my lunch break.

Patty pokes her head over the partition, glaring down at me.

“Do you mind? I’m trying to read,” she says, eying my pen.

I give her an apologetic smile and stop, though the moment she sits back down, I roll my eyes. I know Patty has this loyalty and affiliation to my father since she’s worked for him for so long, so it probably rubs her the wrong way that I’m here. I think she feels threatened because I’m family and I could take her job away. Little does she know that I’d never work for my father like that. Granted, working for Will has become so distracting lately, but even so I still love my job.

It’s five to noon and I’m slowly getting ready, pondering where I should go eat lunch, when Will emerges from Dad’s office looking stressed and worse for wear.

“What are you doing?” he asks me, leaning against my desk.

“About to go for lunch,” I tell him. “How was it in there?”

“Before Sasha and I started fighting? It was fine,” he says wryly.

“Eep.”

“Yeah. Anyway, it’s over. Did you want to get lunch? My treat.”

Try and act calm and nonchalant.

Except I’m already grinning.

“You’re the boss,” I tell him.

“I like it when you say that,” he says, heading into his office.

I bite down on my smile and stand up, grabbing my purse, and notice Patty staring at me with disdain. She’s probably jealous. Or disapproving. I ignore her and wait for Will outside his office until he’s grabbing his laptop bag.

“Are we coming back?” I ask him.

“You can, if you want,” he says with a smirk, closing his door behind him.

I look back at my desk, unsure if he’s joking or not. Thankfully I have everything I need in my purse if he’s serious.

We leave the office, Tiffany giving me a suspicious look over her glasses as we go, and all I can do is shrug. As we head down the street, Will leading the way, I ask, “So where are we going for lunch?”

He glances at me over his shoulder. “We’re heading to my place first.”

Oh? I want to ask what for but I don’t dare. Instead I move my little legs to keep up with his long strides, and marvel at the looks of the people that pass him by on the street. Even though Will is terribly easy-going, his presence is commanding. It makes people look at him and take notice, doesn’t matter if you’re a man or woman, the heads swivel. He’s just so much man, something missing in a city full of men in skinny jeans.

We get to his building, The Grace, and it’s just as beautiful as I remembered from last week. Then I was sort of in a daze, so I make a point to take in the different gargoyles perched along the terracotta-tiled townhouses, the detail that went into the statues and water fountains. It’s an oasis of privilege and calm in the middle of the city.

I have to admit though, I’m a bit nervous when I get into the elevator with him. I shouldn’t be but I am, and it’s all because of the damn fantasies in my head. It starts freaking me out a little as the elevator rises up, the mere smell of him, herbal and woodsy, like moss in the sun, invading my nose. What happens if I just reach out and grab him? If I kiss him? I could just kiss him and ruin everything.

I’m almost having a panic attack, as if my body could act without being told, and let out a huge sigh of relief when we get to his floor.

Once we’re inside his stunning apartment though, he doesn’t waste a lot of time. He leashes the dogs once they’ve come bounding over and have licked and sniffed and wagged their hearts out, and then we’re back in the elevator, heading all the way to the parking garage.

“Are we taking the dogs to lunch?” I ask as we walk toward his sleek Mercedes.

“I was wondering when you’d start questioning this,” he says, grinning at me as he unlocks the door.

“I pride myself on being adaptable,” I tell him. “It’s one of my key characteristics listed on my resume.”

“Is that so?” he asks, getting the dogs in the back and gesturing for me to get in the front. “You’ll have to run the rest by me, I’ve forgotten.”

“Well,” I say after I’ve buckled up and he’s bringing the car on to Richards Street, and then taking a right on Davie. “Aside from adaptable, I’m also responsible, honest, hard-working, and detail-oriented.”

“Except one of those is a lie,” he says.

I glare at him. “What?”

He drapes his hand over the steering wheel and gives me a grin that I feel in every part of my body. “You’re not that hard-working if you’re here with me right now.”

I narrow my eyes. “May I remind you that I’m your assistant and my job is entirely dependent on the work that you give me.”

“So if I ask you to spend the rest of the afternoon with me and give the middle finger to work, that’s on me, not you?”

“You got it.”

“I can take responsibility,” he says with a nod. “Though that’s listed on your resume too.”

I watch him for a few moments. Just take him all in, no shame. His large hand on the wheel, the glint of his silver Rolex just as the sun pokes out from behind a cloud, the dark hair on his arm, the silver cufflink on his dress shirt, the tailored edge of his slate grey suit. He’s got a scar below his thumb, something light that doesn’t tan like the rest of his skin.

I start wondering about his scar, wondering where he got it. Accident with a letter opener? An oyster shucker? A paper cut gone wild?

And then I’m quickly reminded that as much time as we spend together, I don’t know everything about him. He’s talked about Sasha a few times, thankfully he never sounded like he was pining for her, or even hurt. He’s talked about the film business, the old days of being a production assistant, when he first met my father. He’s even touched on his drawings a bit.

But as for his teenage years, his childhood, I know nothing except his father died when he was five and he was raised by a single mother, just like Ty is.

That shames me a bit. That I’ve been so blinded by his money and worldliness that I’ve forgotten he may have had a harder upbringing than I gave him credit for.

I’m sure people look at me and assume because I went to a nice high school, lived in a big house, was raised by loving and successful parents—was pretty much born with the proverbial spoon in my mouth—that I wouldn’t know what hard work is, that I’ve had it easy.

They’d be wrong. And I might be very wrong about Will.

“Have you been to Cypress Mountain?” he asks, after we’ve spent at least ten minutes in the car trying to get out of downtown, sitting in comfortable silence.

“Not since I was young. I used to love their toboggan run.”

“Thought maybe if the clouds part for a bit, it could be worth the view. Plus, the dogs need to really get out there and be in the wilderness for a change. These city parks aren’t cutting it.”

“Did you go for hikes with them in LA?”

“Actually I only adopted them from the rescue when I got here.”

I twist in my seat to look back at the smiling Pitbull Joan and the scruffy terrier mutt Sprocket, their tongues hanging out of their mouths, all too happy to be on an adventure. “You’ve only had them since, what, February? They’re so good with you.”

“They’re good dogs, Jackie,” he says with a smile. “You ever follow that account on Twitter? We Rate Dogs? Anyway, inside joke. Yeah, they’re good dogs. And they were a bonded pair. When I went to the rescue, they said they came together and I said the more the merrier.”

“So you didn’t have dogs in LA?”

He shakes his head. “Sasha didn’t want them.”

“Well what the fuck else didn’t Sasha want?”

“Aside from me?” He says though I can tell he’s a bit uncomfortable at my outburst.

“Sorry. Just getting mad on your behalf.”

“I’m flattered.”

“I’m glad you rescued them though.”

“Me too. I just knew I’d be a bit lonely here. They’ve really helped. I needed the company, they needed the company. Everyone should rescue a dog, in my opinion. I think in the end they always end up rescuing you.”

Now is the perfect time to ask him something I really don’t want to ask him, and which I’m really afraid of the answer.

I swallow. “So have you been dating anyone?”

He gives me look, frowning. “Dating?”

I shrug, looking out the window at the tall trees as we cruise into Stanley Park. “Yeah. Have you gone on dates since the divorce?” I pause. “Or is that too personal?”

“It’s personal,” he says. “But I don’t mind telling you. In LA I dated a few women, friends of friends. But, I don’t know. After a few dates, what was the point really?”

“Right,” I nod. “You’re not ready to move on.”

“I have moved on,” he says emphatically. “That’s not the issue. I’m just extremely picky and selective who I spend my time with. I don’t have time for games. For the bullshit. I know what I want when I see it and if I can, I’ll go for it.”

Sadly, that could explain why he hasn’t gone for me, because he doesn’t want me. And why should he? I have to get this god damn crush under control. And I especially have to stop picturing him naked. Like, right now. When he’s right beside me in this small car and my gaze keep being drawn to his pants.

“Where there’s a will there’s a way,” I find myself saying.

Will laughs. “Your father teach you that one?”

“He did. Well, just so you know, if you do meet the one, you won’t have any problems snatching her up.”

He watches me for a moment, his blue green eyes searching my face. “Why?”

“I’m sure it’s entirely inappropriate for me to say, but you’re quite the catch.”

His face slowly breaks into a grin, his forehead lined in surprise. “Am I?”

“You are.”

“Who says?”

“Tiffany and Alyssa.”

“Not Patty?”

I laugh. “Oh hell no. The only thing she’s sexually attracted to are Excel spreadsheets.”

“The bane of your existence.”

“That’s right.”

“And what about you?”

I glance at him warily. “What about me?”

“Do you think I’m a catch?”

He’s grinning at me in a cocky way that makes me realize this is all fun and games to him, but even so I have to tread carefully.

“I think you’re going to make some woman very happy one day.”

He stares at me for a beat, nodding. “Very diplomatic. You’re picking up the business pretty quick.”

“I have a good teacher,” I remind him.

It takes quite the drive to get to the top of Cypress Mountain: over the Lions Gate Bridge, across the Upper Levels Highway, and then up the steep and switchback-riddled road to the ski lifts.

But the view is spectacular, the clouds lifting just for us it seems, and once we’re at the top I even manage to hike a good ten minutes before my shoes start killing me. Thank god I wore my ballet flats today.

After we get back in the car, the dogs happy, we head down the mountain and toward Horseshoe Bay where we finally stop for lunch at Trolls. We sit on the patio and eat fish n’ chips as we watch the ferries leaving the harbor, the mountains rising from the ocean like monoliths. At one point a rainbow comes out, spanning from side of the bay to the other.

I end up having two Caesar drinks at lunch while Will promises me he can make me his own version one day that blows every bartender’s Caesar out of the water. I want to hold him to that. In fact, I’m close to asking him to make me one back at his place, but I have enough decency to keep my words in my mouth.

I am, however, tipsy enough to forget about going back to work. And it’s just as well. We get back into the Mercedes and Will takes the long way back to downtown, cruising along Marine drive, past the billion-dollar seaside homes overlooking English Bay, the glass towers of downtown Vancouver in the distance.

It’s magical, for lack of a better word. With the window rolled down and the soft, briny spring breeze coming in and rustling my hair, one arm outside and feeling the air, Roy Orbison playing on the stereo, I feel like I’m in another world. In a movie. In a place where it’s just me and Will and the sun glinting off the water. I feel . . .at peace. And I realize it’s been a long time since I’ve felt that.

So by the time we get back to his apartment and get the dogs back, I’m not disappointed in the least when he says to me, “I don’t want to go back to the office. Want to catch a water taxi to Granville Island? Get a drink and some sushi?”

Even though we literally ate an hour ago, I can’t find anything to say no to. Any extra time with Will is pretty much heaven to me.

We hop on the little water taxi heading across the stretch of False Creek toward Granville Island (which isn’t really an island) and I think about Ty and how much he’d like to be with us doing this. Then I realize that this is the first time I’ve actually been alone with Will outside of the office without my son. As much as I know Ty likes his company and vice versa, it’s refreshing to be with Will like this and not have to be Ty’s mom. I can just be me.

And after we find a sushi place and I’ve had a few tiny cups of hot sake with Will, I forget that I even work for him. I’m not even Will’s assistant. I’m . . . Just Jackie.

We sit side by the side at the bar overlooking the sushi chefs doing their chopping and folding, and start daring each other to eat whatever the other person orders for them. The sushi chefs are having an absolute ball with this.

I have to admit, I used to be an adventurous eater when I was young but I lost that palette when I moved, so when Will makes me eat an octopus roll stuffed with fish eggs, I’m nearly sick. Still, I manage to get it down, though it takes a few more cups of sake to do the trick. I try to get Will back with an eel roll but he seems to really enjoy it and instead orders two. Bastard.

I’m pleasantly drunk and my stomach is bursting when Will leans in close to me, his elbows on the bar, palming a cup of green tea. From the look in his eyes, I know he’s going to say something serious.

“Listen, Jackie,” he says to me, his voice low. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

Oh god. I know that he’s not going to fire me, but even so my heart is starting to beat fast again.

He glances at me through dark lashes. So fucking pretty. So not fair.

“And I realize this is entirely inappropriate and I apologize in advance for it.”

Oh my god. Now my heart is beating fast for different reasons. I can barely breathe.

“It’s not my place at all,” he continues. “Especially as we don’t know each other that well, and that I’m your boss first and foremost.”

First and foremost.

My heart sinks.

“But aside from being your boss, I like to think of you as a friend.”

Good lord, just stick the knife in further. Where is he going with all this?

“In fact you’re one of my few friends here, aside from Ted and my friend Emmett.”

Great. So I’m his friend along with my dad. Without breaking his gaze, I raise my sake to my lips and knock back the rest of it, not even wincing as it burns hot.

“The point is, I care about you. A lot.”

Oh?

He exhales through his nose. “More than you probably think. Maybe more than a boss should care about their employee.”

Now I’m just staring at him, waiting for whatever it is.

And he knows I’m waiting. He nods. Says, “Sorry. I’ll just say it.” He licks his lips and bites down on his bottom one for a moment. Naturally my eyes fix there, wondering what would happen if I kissed him now. Those same scary elevator thoughts.

“I was talking to Ty while you went to the restrooms at the game,” he says.

I straighten up. “And?”

“He was watching the screen, the playbacks of the first period. He was upset about the fight.”

Oh shit. “He was?”

I knew the moment I saw the fight broke out between the two players that it could be a trigger for Ty. Hell, it was almost a trigger for me. I knew what one of those punches felt like. But I watched him closely. Ty seemed to be okay with it. But of course that doesn’t mean anything.

God, I’m a terrible mother.

“Jackie,” Will says, reaching over and lifting up my chin with his fingers so I’m looking at him. “It’s okay. He wasn’t traumatized. He explained why he was upset.”

Fuck. So he knows.

“He, uh, what did he tell you?”

He stares at me with such tenderness that it rattles me more than the conversation. “He told me what your ex did to you. Said it happened twice. Says he never hurt him. Says that you put him in jail.”

I pull my face away and bury it in my hands, trying to breathe.

“Jackie,” Will whispers, his warm hand pressing on my back. “It’s okay. I told Ty I wouldn’t tell you, but you know I had to. He needs to talk to someone. You need to talk to someone. Do your parents even know?”

I shake my head, unable to speak.

This isn’t happening.

I’m so fucking embarrassed.

This will forever change the way that Will thinks of me. He’s going to think I’m a bad mother for sticking around with Jeff. He’s going to think I’m an idiot for going up north with him. He’s going to think I’m damaged goods, if he never thought that before.

“Is that why you brought me here?” I ask, my voice muffled in my hands.

“No. Not at all. I just wanted to be with you.” His hand goes up my back to my hair, cupping the back of my head. Oh god. It feels so good I might just cry.

“I’m going to tell you what I told Ty,” he goes on softly, leaning in close so that his lips are at my ear, his breathe warm. So warm. “And that’s if you ever need someone to talk to, you can talk to me. I understand not wanting to tell Ted and Diane. I get it. And I get not wanting to tell anyone aside from the police. But this is something you can’t keep bottled up. And neither can Ty. He wanted to talk, Jackie. He’s open to it. He needs help dealing with it just as you do.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I tell him, abruptly getting off my stool and stumbling out of the dark restaurant.

Outside it’s raining again and I walk under the awning and around the corner, holding back the tears until I can’t anymore.

They pour out of me in one loud sob and I cover my mouth with my hand, biting down on it, trying to keep quiet, to compose myself.

And then Will is there, my purse and blazer in hand. He sets it down on the ground next to me and pulls me into his arms.

I’m too weak to fight it. I’m too tired to pretend I’m all right. I’ve been pretending for too long, even fooling myself most days. Thinking I can just forget it and move past it. But the effort might slowly be killing me.

“Jackie,” Will says, holding me tight in his arm, his chin resting on the top of my head. “It’s okay. It’s okay. Let it out.”

And I do. I press my face into his hard chest and I cry and I cry, getting his shirt soaked with my tears.

He just holds me. He barely says a word. Just keeps me tight to him, containing me even when I feel so uncontained.

But as I cry, the feelings don’t subside. Not in the least.

“I feel so ashamed,” I sob into him, unable to keep it inside.

“Why?” he whispers.

I pull my head back enough to look up at him. I know I look like hell with a snotty nose, red eyes, cheeks wet with tears, but I don’t care.

“Because I let it happen.”

He frowns, his eyes going hard, like emeralds dug from the earth. “You didn’t let it happen. You did nothing wrong Jackie. Nothing.”

I try to swallow, the guilt overwhelming me. “But I chose him. I knew he was bad news and I chose him. I was so stupid. In love. I thought that once he was around Ty, he’d change.”

“You were eighteen. You were young.”

“I wasn’t thinking.”

“Yes you were, you were thinking of Ty. You wanted him to have a father, to have a family.”

I shake my head because it doesn’t matter what I wanted. What matters is what happened. “I should have stayed in Vancouver with my parents. I shouldn’t have gone. My life would be totally different.”

“Different doesn’t mean right.”

“It does when I could have avoided being a fucking punching bag!” I yell. “It would have saved me from working two jobs, trying to keep the heat on in the winter, trying to give Ty what he needed, trying to believe that maybe we’d be a family. And Jeff, he’d always tell me that he was getting better. He’d tell me he loved me and Ty, and then he’d disappear. Dealing drugs. Stealing. I spent so many nights afraid and alone because I knew what he was like when he was high and desperate. I never said no to him, do you understand? I could never say no.”

Will’s jaw tightens, his eyes glittering intensely. He swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He understands completely.

“I did everything wrong,” I go on. “Everything. I tried my best and it was just . . . bullshit.”

“Was it just twice that he hit you?” Will’s voice has a knife’s edge.

I nod, another tear rolling down onto his shirt. “The first time was around Christmas. My parents had called my neighbor trying to reach me. I tried to call them back but they didn’t answer. Jeff searched my phone, saw the call. Pushed me to the floor. Kicked me in the stomach. In front of Ty. He was drunk and who knows what. He left and then I didn’t see him for three weeks.”

“Jesus Jackie.”

“The other time was the end of February. He’d been gone for a week, off on a bender. He came home in the middle of the night. Yelling. Trashing the place.” I close my eyes, everything flooding back. I can even smell him.

“You don’t have to explain,” he says.

“It’s okay. It’s okay. You were right. I need to talk to someone about it. Say it out loud.” I take in a shaking breathe and I realize he’s still holding onto me just as tight, our bodies pressed against each other. He’s immovable and therefore I’m immovable. “He was freaking out. I don’t know why. I didn’t understand him. I don’t think he understood. But Ty was sleeping on the couch so I told Jeff to shut up. I told Ty to get in my room.”

I can see it all. Ty’s frightened face. Jeff’s horrible silhouette in the darkness.

I go on, quietly. “Jeff reached for Ty and I didn’t know if he was going to hurt him or what. Maybe nothing. But I didn’t want him touching him. So I pushed Jeff back, told him to get out or I’d call the police. Well that did it. He punched me in the face. I went flying back against the wall, but I didn’t fall. I started looking around for a weapon. Saw the ceramic teapot I left out on the coffee table. He saw it at the same time. Before I could get it, he grabbed it. Bashed it across my face. Thank god he was off-balance, he wasn’t able to do as much damage. Then punched me again. I thought he’d broken my whole face. My brain. I don’t remember much after that. I started screaming for help and that’s when Jeff disappeared. I remember picking up the phone and calling the police. I remember Ty crying. And that was it.”

Will is silent, breathing heavily. His hands grasp the back of my shirt, balling them up.

“The cops came. I don’t remember it all, but I do remember telling them it was Jeff and that he’d done it before and that he was probably dealing drugs too or something. They said they had enough to put him away. And I’m so so ashamed to admit it but for a moment I thought I made a mistake. Because I didn’t want Ty to lose his father. As stupid as that sounds.”

“You made the right choice,” he whispers. “You made the only choice.”

“I know. I know that now. But I can’t get over it. I can’t, I feel so guilty, you know, just guilty that my choices got us in that mess. I can’t shake it.”

“Listen to me,” Will says, pulling back and holding me by the shoulders, peering into my eyes with limitless concern. “What you told me, you need to tell someone else. A professional. You need to tell your parents too. You need the right help, for both you and Ty, and with it you’ll do more than shake it. Jackie, you’re the strongest woman that I know. Raising Ty like that, doing everything you could for him. I am just . . . I am in total awe of you. And I know you’ll be able to come out of this even stronger.”

“My parents will hate me,” I whisper, looking away.

“They won’t. I promise you they won’t. They love you.”

“They’ll judge me for not leaving him sooner. People always judge the mother.”

His eyes glint sharply as his grip on my shoulders grows tighter. “Jackie. You went through a horrible traumatic event that no one should ever experience. Whether people are in your shoes or they have no idea at all what it’s like, no one has the right to judge you. No one. You got out when you reached your breaking point. It’s different for everyone. You put Jeff in jail. You protected your son when I know it couldn’t have been easy. Anyone who dares to judge you and your life and how you handled yourself in the face of such horror is pure garbage. A sorry excuse for a person. Plain and simple. There are some people out there who never get out. Who always stay with the abuser. They shouldn’t be judged either. The only fucking thing they need is compassion. Something this world has been lacking for a while.”

I nod slowly, trying to take it all in even though it’s hard, even though I’m stubborn and want to hang onto the guilt. I have to admit, he is making me feel a little better. Actually, it feels like a giant weight has lifted off of me. It’s not entirely gone—Will is right, I have to go to a therapist to really work through it—but it’s been lifted. There’s a glow of catharsis inside me, like someone letting fresh air into my soul.

But I’m also drained.

Emptied.

Utterly exhausted.

I stare down at his soggy shirt. “I’m sorry I ruined your shirt.”

“I don’t care in the slightest.”

I stare up at him, worried. “I hope this doesn’t change the way you think of me.”

He cocks his head. “Why does it matter what I think?”

I breathe in deeply through my nose, summoning my courage. “Because, just like you, you’re one of my only friends too. So it matters. It matters a lot.”

His mouth quirks up into a brief smile. “But the way I think about you has changed.”

“Oh.” I knew it.

He cups my face with his large hand, its warmth pressed against my skin, causing shivers to descend down my back. His eyes search mine, deeper and deeper. “I’m now realizing exactly how incredible you are. Jackie, you are an amazing human being. I’m even more enamored with you than I was before, and that’s saying a lot.”

Enamored?

Holy fuck. I don’t think anyone has ever said anything like that to me before. In fact I know they haven’t. If he didn’t have one hand behind my back, holding me in place, I’m pretty sure I’d be falling to my knees.

I don’t know how long we stand like that outside the sushi restaurant as the rain pounds around us, but eventually we realize we have places to go and roles to assume.

And me, now I’m left feeling shy. Overwhelmed by Will’s affection and unsure how to process it. What we just shared was not an employer concerned about an employee. But was it more than just a friend being concerned for a friend?

I don’t know. I guess at the moment it doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that Will is someone I can count on. Someone I can talk to. Someone to lean on.

Only time will tell if it will ever become anything more.