Finally (A Law Enforcement Romance)

Chapter 2

I could tell Jodi was fighting back tears, as well as anger. Her shoulders were tensed and she kept wringing her hands. I felt like s**t for how I just spoke to her. Your efforts will not go unrewarded. What a crappy thing to say but that’s what came out. I wanted to say so much more but my mouth was just not obeying. The sudden rise of emotion in me was overwhelming.

When she woke up, the relief that went through me was stifling. She risked her life and went above and beyond the call of duty. She could’ve died. I shivered at the thought of what would have happened if the bomb had gone off and we were tasked with cleaning up her body parts everywhere. My stomach turned at the thought. God, no. I looked at her as if to make sure she was still there and not a hallucination.

“Is something bothering you, Sergeant?” she snapped, her eyes blazing. She immediately closed her eyes, paused and took a breath.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. Or tell you to shut up. That was unprofessional.”

She was seriously worried about ranks at a time like this? “Don’t worry about it. It was a highly… tense situation.”

Jodi gave a weak smile and rested her head against the window, her long hair covering her face. I had to stop myself from reaching over and holding her hand. That would be the very definition of unprofessional.

We drove the rest of the way in silence, my mind conflicted. I’d always been fond of her, but this felt different, almost intimate. I shook my head and concentrated on the road. Relationships were tricky in my line of work. I’d avoided them for a reason, especially with a colleague. But nearly losing her today made me realise what I’m feeling may be more than fondness. s**t.

*****

After about an hour back at the station, I finally left and went straight home. I didn’t waste time stripping my clothes and climbing into a scolding hot shower. The memory of waking up and seeing Gabe’s face played over and over again until I was no longer hot from the shower. I felt like he was the only one that mattered at that time, nothing around us concerned me, just him and the warmth in his eyes when I came to.

I groaned and rested my forehead on the cool tiles. I was not supposed to feel anything for him. Not even a little crush but it had progressed far beyond that. It was just a crush at one stage when I was transferred to the station about 6 months ago. I knew then it was wrong. Not only was he my superior, but he was also 6 or 7 years older than me. Not that it really bothered me, but I, unfortunately, cared a bit too much about what other people thought. I’m twenty-nine, age gaps like that don’t really matter but at the same time, they did.

I guess I had been denying it but today confirmed something. I was definitely developing strong feelings for Gabe Matthews. Why does it take some traumatising event for us to realise what we’re truly feeling? Cliché much?

I made some tea, sat on the couch and put on a kid’s movie. That should help lighten my mood. My stomach suddenly grumbled loudly. I looked over to the kitchen and pursed my lips. No way in hell was I cooking. I picked my phone up and scrolled through the food delivery app. Even my favourites didn’t look appetising. Frustrated, I threw my phone next to me and got up.

I walked to one of the cupboards, grabbed my jar of peanut butter and a spoon and settled down again in front of the TV. Comfort food is just what I need right now. I didn’t feel too guilty about the indulgence as I was going for a run the next morning. I was delighted with the creamy texture and focused on the cartoon. It was surprisingly insightful for a kid’s movie although I wasn’t awake long enough to find out if he got the girl in the end.