Chapter 49

Grace shook her head to clear it. This was her "brother," and he likely didn't mean what he'd said in the way she was interpreting it. It was an innocent question; she shouldn't read too much into it. This attraction she felt was one-sided and couldn't go anywhere. If she crossed that line, she'd only stand to lose him. He deserved better than that. They both did.

She swallowed hard and averted her gaze. "Of course, I would be sad if something happened to you. I care for you deeply."

"As you did for Sean before you learned the truth about him?"

Actually, she felt more for Jay. But she couldn't tell him that. If he misinterpreted her, there would be no unringing the bell. And the last thing she wanted was any awkwardness or distance between them. She valued his friendship too fiercely.

Grace cleared her throat. "I can love my younger brother, but that isn't the same kind of love."

"Oh?"

Jason wasn't letting her off the hook, and the whole conversation was making her cringe. "It's two different feelings. I thought loving someone was forever and irreplaceable. I even thought that lovers could live and die together."

What a romantic notion, Jason thought. Surely, this was the stuff of fairytales, 3D projector billboards, and happily ever afters. He had no experience with such things. His parents certainly weren't an example, nor were any of his colleagues or associates. That kind of love—to live or die together—seemed all-encompassing, all-empowering.

Why did he suddenly want to experience such a thing? And with Grace? What did this mean? Had he fallen in love with her? No. Of course not. He didn't believe in that kind of love, and he challenged anyone who did to prove it was honest, true, and lasting.

But he did admit he had feelings for her. There was a sentimental attachment, yes. That was it. And physical attraction. He studied her and realized he had also become reliant—obsessed?—with being near her. He wanted to know her whereabouts, to be there when she came home, and to ensure her safety. He acknowledged that he liked being near her, and he was okay with that. Why else would he have played this game for so long? There was nothing wrong with enjoying someone else's company. If he was really honest with himself, he was falling into deeper emotional territory. But to fall in love… he couldn't have done that. He'd made a promise to himself long ago to never fall in love with any woman!

"And Jay would never make me sad, right?" The gentle tone of her voice resounded in his ear.

He chuckled softly as he studied her blushing cheeks and faint smile. He'd give her the out, for now, and fall back into their comfortable brother/sister dynamic and the insular world they'd created. "Your brother will never make you sad," he said. Because that was the answer she wanted to hear. And he meant it. Protecting her for life was as easy as lifting a finger for him. Hell, his accountants could probably find some tax write-off for it.

When she stared at him, her eyes so earnest and hopeful, he felt a pang of unease. He'd promised not to make her sad, yet… when she one day discovered that he wasn't Jay Smith, some vagrant worker, but actually Jason Reed, President of Reed Corporation, how would she react to the lie he'd been living? Sad was likely an understatement. This woman had built walls around her, and he'd been let in. It wasn't really a question of if he would hurt her, but when.

Grace went to work the next day. After she and Claire finished sweeping the streets, they returned to the sanitation center for their lunch break. However, Grace noticed her colleagues giving her sidelong glances. Some glances were curious, while others were filled with disdain, mockery, and pity. Many of them pointed and whispered amongst themselves.

Grace found it weird. Claire walked toward her from the supply closet, pulled her aside, and quietly asked, "Grace, were you in jail?"

Grace was shaken, and her face instantly paled. It was as if all her previous doubts had been clarified. She'd never lied on her application; she'd been forthright about her incarceration and her commitment to being a productive member of society again. But that information should have been private. Although… she'd already mentally prepared herself for this, knowing that every secret eventually surfaces. This one, about her past, was inevitable. She supposed she was lucky to have made it this far. And yet, surrounded by people gazing at her with varying degrees of shock, disgust, and disdain, casually discussing her past as if they had any right to judge her, she felt like she was standing naked in a frozen tundra. Her coworkers stared and pointed. The secret was officially out. They all knew about her imprisonment.

"Hmm," she hummed in agreement.

"Oh, you're such a good kid, why were you in jail? What did you do?" Claire asked, having rushed over for confirmation after someone else had told her. So apparently, the gossip mill hadn't filled her in on the specifics yet.

"Manslaughter caused by drunk driving," Grace said.

"In most cases of drunk driving, even if it causes death, the punishment is usually imprisonment with a suspended sentence and compensation, but the Atkinson family was adamant about not taking a single penny from me. They just wanted me in jail." She swallowed hard and waited for Claire's reaction. "I spent three years in prison before being released."

"Oh… you…" Claire sighed. "I heard you were a lawyer back then, but now you've fallen so low that you sweep the streets with me, which is very sad indeed. You should never drink and drive."

Claire chattered on, but didn't use a critical gaze to study Grace, which filled her heart with relief.