Read An Act of Deceit: Book 2 of the Sarah Woods Mysteries for Free Online Page A
Authors: Jennifer L. Jennings
Tags: Mystery, Hard-Boiled
office after the usual pleasantries. I put the day’s dirty laundry in the wash and tidied up. As I made my way toward the restroom to wash my hands, I overheard Sammy talking to someone in the reception area. I headed out after a quick scrub. As I rounded the corner and looked over toward the desk, I felt my chest tighten.
“Hello, Sarah.” The green eyes I’d thought about often now sparkled as Max smiled at me.
“Hi, Max,” I said, feeling paralyzed.
“Well, I’m leaving early today,” Sammy announced as he walked to the closet and grabbed his belongings. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Max. See you tomorrow, Sarah.” He snatched his computer bag from the desk and disappeared.
Max stepped toward me. “How have you been, Sarah?” His demeanor suggested he was unsure of himself. Perhaps my silence made him wonder if he’d made a mistake in coming to see me.
I finally got my mouth in gear. “Doing good . . . uh . . . fine. I’m fine. I thought you were traveling.”
“I was.” He stopped and tucked his hands inside pockets of his tight jeans. “I just got back last week.”
“So, uh … what brings you back so soon?”
“Soon?” His expression was sullen. “I’ve been gone several months,” he said, looking up at me. “I came to the realization that I was running away from my life and from the pain of losing my sister. I thought leaving home would clear my mind and help me make sense of it all.” He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. “I spent a lot of time thinking about the people I’ve lost, and not enough time thinking about those who are still around.”
My legs began to move, seemingly without me willing them to. I was closing the distance between us and couldn’t stop myself. Now inches from Max, I lifted my hands to his cheeks. He leaned forward and took me in his arms. I buried my face in his neck and he squeezed me tight.
“I wanted to call so many times,” he said as he stroked my hair, “but I sensed you needed space.”
I tilted my head back and looked up into his eyes. “I wanted to call you, too. To see how you were. To hear your voice. But I realized something, too.” I grabbed his hands and took a step back. “We helped each other through a difficult time. When two people share that kind of bond, feelings can be … misinterpreted.”
Max looked confused. “So what are you trying to say, Sarah?”
I shrugged. “I guess I’m having a hard time understanding why you have feelings for me. I’m seven years older than you, Max. I don’t get it.”
He smiled and nodded his head. “That’s why. It’s because you don’t even know how wonderful you really are.”
I let go of his hands to cover my eyes. I didn’t want him to see my tears. “This is crazy, Max. You know I’m married. This isn’t … I can’t let this happen.”
Max backed away. “I know. That’s why I almost didn’t come back.”
“Then why did you?” I slapped away the spill of emotion from my cheeks, frustrated. The words betrayed my heart.
Max shrugged and zipped his jacket. “I guess I needed to know for sure.”
“Know what for sure?”
“That my feelings for you were valid.”
“And are they?”
Max turned and headed for the door. “It doesn’t really matter now, does it?” He pulled the door closed behind him and I was alone.
I stood there for quite some time, sobbing, and unable to move. The tightness in my chest was palpable; if my heart kept hammering against it, I was certain it would shatter. I wiped my tears with my sleeve, cursing my vulnerability. The empowerment I’d felt the past few days now crumbled in the face of heartbreak and regret. “Shit,” I said aloud. Then louder. “Shit, shit, shit!”
I grabbed my coat and
“Hello, Sarah.” The green eyes I’d thought about often now sparkled as Max smiled at me.
“Hi, Max,” I said, feeling paralyzed.
“Well, I’m leaving early today,” Sammy announced as he walked to the closet and grabbed his belongings. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Max. See you tomorrow, Sarah.” He snatched his computer bag from the desk and disappeared.
Max stepped toward me. “How have you been, Sarah?” His demeanor suggested he was unsure of himself. Perhaps my silence made him wonder if he’d made a mistake in coming to see me.
I finally got my mouth in gear. “Doing good . . . uh . . . fine. I’m fine. I thought you were traveling.”
“I was.” He stopped and tucked his hands inside pockets of his tight jeans. “I just got back last week.”
“So, uh … what brings you back so soon?”
“Soon?” His expression was sullen. “I’ve been gone several months,” he said, looking up at me. “I came to the realization that I was running away from my life and from the pain of losing my sister. I thought leaving home would clear my mind and help me make sense of it all.” He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. “I spent a lot of time thinking about the people I’ve lost, and not enough time thinking about those who are still around.”
My legs began to move, seemingly without me willing them to. I was closing the distance between us and couldn’t stop myself. Now inches from Max, I lifted my hands to his cheeks. He leaned forward and took me in his arms. I buried my face in his neck and he squeezed me tight.
“I wanted to call so many times,” he said as he stroked my hair, “but I sensed you needed space.”
I tilted my head back and looked up into his eyes. “I wanted to call you, too. To see how you were. To hear your voice. But I realized something, too.” I grabbed his hands and took a step back. “We helped each other through a difficult time. When two people share that kind of bond, feelings can be … misinterpreted.”
Max looked confused. “So what are you trying to say, Sarah?”
I shrugged. “I guess I’m having a hard time understanding why you have feelings for me. I’m seven years older than you, Max. I don’t get it.”
He smiled and nodded his head. “That’s why. It’s because you don’t even know how wonderful you really are.”
I let go of his hands to cover my eyes. I didn’t want him to see my tears. “This is crazy, Max. You know I’m married. This isn’t … I can’t let this happen.”
Max backed away. “I know. That’s why I almost didn’t come back.”
“Then why did you?” I slapped away the spill of emotion from my cheeks, frustrated. The words betrayed my heart.
Max shrugged and zipped his jacket. “I guess I needed to know for sure.”
“Know what for sure?”
“That my feelings for you were valid.”
“And are they?”
Max turned and headed for the door. “It doesn’t really matter now, does it?” He pulled the door closed behind him and I was alone.
I stood there for quite some time, sobbing, and unable to move. The tightness in my chest was palpable; if my heart kept hammering against it, I was certain it would shatter. I wiped my tears with my sleeve, cursing my vulnerability. The empowerment I’d felt the past few days now crumbled in the face of heartbreak and regret. “Shit,” I said aloud. Then louder. “Shit, shit, shit!”
I grabbed my coat and