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Her brows crease.

“Then what…? Did I mess something up with HR?” The panic rises now. I’m an idiot for not just coming out and saying it, but this is hard. When Idofinally manage to get the words out, that’ll be it. I won’t bother her again.

“No, nothing like that.”

Reaching behind me, I hand over the wrapped frame. Mel takes it with two hands, looking baffled.

“I just wanted to tell you face-to-face that I know I haven’t been the best person I can be for a long time. And I’m sorry you got wrapped up in my bullshit. I thought I was trying to do better. But now I can see I was just hurting certain people to help others.”

It spills out of me as if I haven’t been rehearsing it for days now. Sounds true because it is, although my pulse thunders in my ears at speaking it out loud.

Mel stares down at the package. When she slowly starts tearing the paper off, I’m pretty sure it’s a sign that she doesn’t want to talk or look at me right now.

“Jason,” she breathes, holding out an arm to see the photograph better.

It’s the one from the museum that we visited on the company trip to Jada Loraine. That oversized photograph of a little house, light spilling from one window. Like Jodie’s old place.

Standing in Jodie’s current home, I’m not sure getting Mel this gift was the right choice. Will she think I’m trying to tug her back into the past? Will she think I’m being cruel, since this photo so obviously struck her when she first saw it?

Trying to take away from my potential blunder, I wave a hand in the air, digging a slip of paper out of my pocket with the other.

“I’m not asking you to finish what we started. I just wanted to thank you and apologize. And give you this, as well.”

I hold out the check.

Mel hesitates. She knows what it is—there aren’t many things that are the exact size and shape of a check.

Then there’s a flash of guilt across her face. She reaches out and takes it, and a swell of emotion burns in my chest. I want to tell her that she’s not a bad person for taking the money, whether she finished out the deal or not. I want to tell her it’s a good thing that she cares so much about Jodie.

Speaking of…

“I should get back. But tell Jodie I miss her. And I hope she’s doing better.”

Tipping my chin down, I send Mel a questioning look.Isshe doing better?

She swallows and nods. That’s enough.

I walk the few short steps to the door and out onto the walkway, digging my keys out of my pocket.

“Jason, wait.”

Turning back at the sound of her raised voice, it hits me all over again that this is probably the last time I’ll see Mel. I just can’t imagine her coming back to Dupont, not after everything that happened. Not with how scared she is about Jodie being unwell.

“You’re not a bad person,” she rushes out, her eyes locked on mine. “You care. You just went about it…” She trails off, searching the sky as if the words will appear there. “Maybe after more than a decade apart, we’re just too different. I hope you get what you want, and I hope the company does well.”

I nod, and then there’s nothing left to say.

Just a drive back to the city, the life I thought I wanted, my spacious, empty apartment, and the company I’ve been so focused on for years. Only now, I’m wondering if I should want more.

Melissa

I can’t seem to pry my hand from the door frame after watching Jason’s car speed off toward the center of Dawson and, inevitably, Boston.

I can’t believe he drove so many hours to get here. To apologize? And bring me that photograph, the one that kills me a little every time I see it, and the rest of the money…

The money.

Guilt eats away at my stomach as I turn away and close the door. I almost have a small heart attack when Jodie appears in the space between the living and dining room.

“What are you doing here? You said you were going to the neighbor’s!”

“Well, I was, and then I remembered I didn’t actually have plans to visit them. So I snuck in through the back door.”

“You snuck into your own house?” I deadpan, trying to breeze past her and act like Jason Shane showing up here just now wasn’t earth-shattering.

But Jodie puts a hand on each of my shoulders and stops me. Her gray eyes search mine, worried.

“Is everything okay, darling?”