“What exactly is going on here?”
The question cracked the kitchen open. Rachel’s fingers flew back from Jason’s wrist as if she’d touched a live wire. Jason straightened so fast the chair leg behind him scraped the tile with a guilty squeal.
“It’s nothing,” he said, too evenly. “Rachel couldn’t sleep. We were talking.”
Melissa’s gaze dropped to the narrow space between them—the space that, a heartbeat before, hadn’t existed. She folded her arms, a small fortress. “Talking about what?”
“Jobs,” Rachel blurted. Her voice sounded like it belonged to someone who’d been running. “The listings aren’t… it’s overwhelming.”
Melissa’s face softened a fraction. “You should’ve woken me. I could’ve helped.”
“I didn’t want to bother you.” Rachel forced a smile, a flimsy umbrella in a storm. “I’m fi
