Inside the supermarket, Reese ignored the stares and headed straight for the home goods aisle. She grabbed a big umbre, paid, and waited at the entrance. It wasn''t long before Matthew came out.
"Here, these are for you." He handed her a shopping bag.
Reese took it without thinking. "What''s this?" she asked, peeking inside. She froze for a second.
Inside was a super soft hair-drying cap, a dress that fell past her knees, and a short trench coat.
"I wasn''t sure what you''d like, so I just picked what lookedfortable. Hope you don''t mind," Matthew said, ncing at the restrooms in the corner. "Go change- wearing wet clothes is a quick way to catch a cold."
"And wrap up your hair, too. If you go out with it wet and the wind hits, you''ll end up with a headache."
Reese clutched the bag, her fingers brushing the soft fabric, and suddenly felt a quiet warmth in her chest.
Thest few days had been a whirlwind-being used, doubted, forced to prove her innocence. She''d finally gotten out of the investigation, only for Zach to drag her off and then leave her on the side of the road in a downpour. She had to watch her own husband shield another woman. Through all of it, she hadn''t cried once.
But now, with Matthew''s gentle concern, her nose stung and her eyes burned.
She ducked her head, trying to hide her emotions, but Matthew just nced at his watch like he hadn''t noticed a thing. "Go ahead, I''ll wait here."
When Reese came back, feeling more human, Matthew handed her a cup of warm milk. "Let''s head out."
The rain had faded to a light drizzle. They walked together under the umbre, water sliding off the edge and sshing onto the sidewalk.
Matthew watched the little sshes before breaking the silence. "I heard about what happened with the agency at ckOak."
Reese''s steps slowed, but she didn''t say anything.
"I know you''d never do something like that," he said, his tone steady. "I''ve already talked to the higher-ups and added more details to the evidence you gave. You should be back at work in a few days."
He looked over at her, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "The research team needs your Dominic''s stil waiting for you to push ''de into the next phase."
Reese''s grip on the umbre tightened. She stopped, lifting her eyes to meet his. "Thank you."
Just a few simple words from Matthew, and the exhaustion and frustration she''d been carrying around seemed to fade a little.
Matthew looked away, as if her gratitude was too much. "It was nothing. We''re coworkers, you don''t have to thank me."
Across town, a sleek ck Bentley pulled up outside a fancy apartmentplex. Leslie got out and shot Sebastian a grateful smile Thanks for everything tonight Sebastian Sorry for the trouble."
"Just doing my job. Get some rest," Sebastian replied from the back seat. He watched Leslie head inside before signaling the driver.
"Hey, don''t leave yet," Neal called from the passenger seat, twisting to look back
at him. “It''s still early. Let''s grab a drink with a few friends."
"I can''t. Got work," Sebastian said, shutting him down right away.
Neal rolled his eyes. "Workaholic. So boring. I still don''t get what Reese ever saw
in you, or why she stuck around for so long."
At the mention of Reese, Sebastian''s expression darkened. "That''s none of your business. Drop it."
He paused, then added, "Any news on the person I asked you to find?"
"Yeah," Neal replied, a sly grin on his face. "He ran off to the next city. I''ve already got someone on his tail. He''ll be in front of you in a few days."
Now that Neal knew Reese wasn''t
behind the drugging, his feelings et
toward her had changed a bit. Remembering the way she donored in the rain, he shifted the topic.
"Honestly, I feel bad for Reese. If you don''t care about her, maybe you should just
let her go. Get the divorce over with."
Sebastian frowned. "I told you not to get involved. Don''t bring her up again."
"I just saw her so I thought I should mention it," Neal said with a shrug. "Funny how you get upset every time her namees up."