Chapter 50: Jake

As I stepped out of the car later that evening, my heart was still pounding in my chest. I couldn't believe the hostage situation had ended peacefully. I had done it, I had saved lives.

I made my way to headquarters, my mind still racing. I could still hear the sound of my own voice, calm and measured, as I spoke to Charles, trying to convince him to release Charlotte. The image of his brains splattering against the far wall still haunted me, but they always did. It was just part of the job.

When I walked through the doors, I was immediately met with cheers and applause from my colleagues.

"Great job, Jake!" one of them shouted. "You're a hero!"

I snickered and waved, feeling a sense of relief and accomplishment wash over me. It wasn't easy, but I had managed to bring the situation to a peaceful end. I wasn’t always that lucky. In fact, more often than not, the situation turned dire.

I walked past the bullpen, where my fellow agents were busy typing away on their keyboards and the sound of ringing phones filled the room. As I approached my office, I could see the door slightly ajar. I pushed it open, and the familiar scent of my books and coffee hit me like a wave.

As I made my way to my desk, I noticed a note from my boss. "Great job, Jake," it read. "You truly are the best negotiator we have. Take some time off to rest and relax. You've earned it."

I sat down at my desk, my body still tense and my mind still processing the events of the day. My eyes glanced at the numerous framed pictures scattered around my desk. The one that caught my eye was Renee and me, last summer at a work barbecue. Her sweet smile and innocent eyes never failed to calm me down after a day like today. I just wished I was at home with her instead of knowing what I knew: she was spending quality time with Aaron, and I probably hadn’t even crossed her mind.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as a migraine tugged at my temples. The image of Charles’s angry face flashed before me again, his eyes filled with anger and desperation. I could hear his voice echoing in my mind, the sound of his demands, and the cries of Charlotte. She would never mentally recover from this, that I knew. No hostages ever did.

Suddenly, a knock at my door snapped me out of my thoughts. It was my partner, Bruce Hale. He walked in, his face solemn and his eyes filled with concern.

"Hey, Jake," he said softly. "How are you holding up?"

I sighed, my shoulders slumping. "It was a tough one," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "But we got everyone out alive, that's what matters."

Hale nodded, his eyes filled with admiration. "You did an amazing job, man. You always do."

I managed a small smile, grateful for the support of my partner. "Thanks, Hale," I said. "I just need a few minutes to decompress, and then we can catch up on what's going on with the other cases, yeah?”

“Take your time.” He nodded and left my office, closing the door behind him. I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes once again. It was time to let go of the day's events, to clear my mind, and recharge for the next challenge that awaited me.

Unfortunately, all I could really think of now was the thought of my girlfriend currently wrapped naked around one of my best friends.

Fuck it all.

I took a deep breath and tried to push the thought out of my mind, focusing on the task at hand. I needed to let go of the stress and focus on taking some much-needed time off. My boss was right; I deserved a break after the intense situation I had just dealt with. But my shift wasn’t over yet.

I reached for my phone and dialed Renee's number, hoping to hear her voice and forget about everything else for a moment. But when she answered, her tone was distant, and her voice lacked its usual warmth.

"Hey, Jake," she said, her voice sounding guarded. "What's up?"

I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should bring up my suspicions about Aaron. But I decided against it, not wanting to create unnecessary drama.

"Just checking in," I said, trying to keep my voice light. "How's your day been?"

"It's been good," she replied, her tone still guarded. "Just busy with work, you know."

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me.

Working, and fucking, I thought bitterly.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that,” I said instead. “Listen, I just wanted to let you know that after this shift I have a few days off. Maybe we could spend some time together?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line before Renee spoke again. "That sounds nice, baby," she said. “You know I love to spend time with you. I feel like you’ve been working a lot.”

“Yeah, me too.” Now that she mentioned it, I had been working a lot. In fact, I felt like I hadn’t seen Renee for more than a brief few minutes in weeks. “Maybe we can get out of town,” I continued. “Just the two of us.”

Another hesitation. “I’m not sure about work, but I’ll see about making it happen,” she said softly. In the background, I heard Aaron speak. I couldn’t hear what he’d said, but a pang of jealousy erupted in my chest, anyway. I closed my eyes and took a breath.

“I’ll let you go,” I said. “I know you’re—busy.”

“I love you.”

“Love you too.”

We said our goodbyes, and I hung up the phone, feeling more confused than ever. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off between us. Maybe it was just the stress of the day, or maybe my intuition was telling me something else.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, and got up from my desk. It was time to finish my shift and focus on taking care of myself, even if that meant facing the truth about my relationship with Renee.

I just didn’t know what that truth was yet.