Chapter 2

Joss's face went cold.

"Freya, I can put up with your pride, but I won't let you make a joke of what we have!

"Take it back..."

I cut him off. "Put my score back, or I'll report you to Don Holden."

Joss's eyes narrowed.

"Freya, you really want to do this?"

"Yes!"

"You don't have any proof, Freya. I have the draft you wrote by hand. I wouldn't have done this if I hadn't covered every angle!"

I looked at Joss in silence.

Joss was always careful. If he'd told me about this, it was because he was sure I couldn't undo it.

Too bad for him, I wasn't someone who gave up easily.

I only regretted losing my temper a moment ago. I shouldn't have tipped my hand.

I looked at Joss for a long moment and let the tears fall.

A flicker of panic crossed Joss's eyes. He reached for me at once. "Freya, don't cry. I promise I'll make it up to you after this..."

"Joss!" Lydia called in a bright, girlish voice as she ran over.

Her cheeks were flushed, and she broke into a fit of coughing.

Joss released me at once and felt her forehead, his face full of concern. "You just got over a cold. Why are you out again? What if it comes back?"

Lydia coughed again. "It won't, Joss."

Joss took off his scarf and wrapped it around Lydia's neck. "Don't be stubborn."

Lydia stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

I stared at Joss's scarf. I had knitted it for him by hand.

I'd never had much patience, so that scarf had taken me forever. When Joss first got it, he was so happy he picked me up and spun me around. "Freya, I'm keeping this scarf safe. Nobody else gets to touch it."

But now that scarf was wrapped around another woman.

I looked at the tenderness on Joss's face and thought back to the day Lydia arrived.

First, she took over our home, saying she was too frail and needed Joss to look after her.

Then she cut up one of my most precious gowns and cried that it was an accident. Joss told me to be the bigger person because I had so many anyway.

Then she set her sights on the brooch my mother gave me. When I said no, Joss called me petty.

I gave up our bedroom to her, canceled our dates, and postponed our wedding.

So this was what all my concessions had led to: Joss wrapping the scarf I'd poured my heart into around another woman's neck.

A suffocating weight settled in my chest until I could barely breathe.

It was a long time before I could finally let out a breath.

Lydia suddenly gasped. "Oh, right. Joss, I lost my notebook with my analysis of the port's incoming and outgoing shipments. I start in a few days, and I'm scared I'll mess up."

Joss paused. "That's fine. Freya's great at this. She can lend you her notes."

He looked at me as though I'd already agreed.

"Freya, you're not going to be a risk analyst anyway, so you don't need the notes. Lend them to Lydia."

I looked at him with open contempt.

What makes him think he can ask me that?

The tears I let him see?

Give me a break. Even if I'm putting on an act, I'm not going to sell myself short.

I fought back the sting of tears and said coldly, "No!"

I turned to leave.

Joss grabbed my wrist, his voice urgent.

"Freya, this is no time to be stubborn. Be good and give Lydia the notes!

"Come on, sweetheart. Once Lydia settles into the job, we'll get married!"

I wrenched my hand free.

"I'll say it again: I'm not lending her my notes.

"We're not getting married. We're done!"