Chapter 182

Liam’s POV

“There’s nothing going on between Joanna and me,” I explained.

Still skeptical, Jackson glared at me. Behind him, Joanna smirked.

I wished, to make things simple, that I could reveal the entire situation to him in a way that would make him understand. But if I did, I doubted he would react in a positive, supportive way. Especially if I asked him to keep that truth from Aria.

Telling him the truth was out.

But how was I supposed to lie, particularly in a way that didn’t harm Joanna or myself? Joanna coming onto me so aggressively could have been construed as sexual harassment, but then Jackson would go to HR. God only knew what Joanna would tell HR if that were to happen. She’d probably tell them that it was fine because we were engaged. I couldn’t let that happen.

“Joanna has been… overzealous in her efforts to help me in the office,” I said. It wasn’t totally a lie. More like I was just skirting the truth. “What you walked in on had no romantic inclinations.”

Jackson’s glare did not soften. “You expect me to believe that?”

“I expect you to believe the truth,” I told him. “I harbor no romantic or sexual feelings for Joanna whatsoever.” This was entirely genuine, spoken from the heart. “Aria is the only one for me.”

As Jackson considered my words, hopefully seeing the truth in them and in me, Joanna’s smirk slipped away, clearly displeased with what I said.

Good. Let her be displeased. She had to know that I was only agreeing to this fake arrangement to get Markus off my back, so I could finally spend more time with Aria and the kids and repair my family.

“You mean that,” Jackson said.

“Yes.”

Jackson searched my face. I stared back at him, unwavering, letting him see the truth within me. I loved Aria. She was the only one that I wanted.

Whatever Jackson saw seemed to satisfy him enough to back off. “Fine. But whatever this was…” He gestured to the desk. “Innocent or not was not cool. If Aria knew about it, she would be incredibly hurt.”

I could acknowledge that, and nodded. I could only hope that for Aria’s sake, Jackson wouldn’t feel the need to tell her about this. I wouldn’t ask that of him though, appreciating the friendship he had with Aria. She needed people watching out for her.

“With that settled,” Joanna said, her voice ice cold. “You can leave now.”

Jackson glared back at her. “I came here for a reason.”

“Then get on with it,” Joanna said.

Jackson retrieved a slip of paper from his back pocket. Unfolding it, it opened into an entire sheet of printer paper, which he then passed to me.

It was a printed-out email from the official head trainer. Within the email, it requested that Jackson ignore Aria entirely and not ask any more questions on her behalf.

“I can’t find this guy in the building, or I would have gone directly to him,” Jackson said. “Didn’t you say you were going to handle this? What the hell are you waiting for?”

More guilt swelled up inside of me. This was just one more thing that fell through the cracks.

“I’ll take care of it,” I said.

“When?” Jackson demanded.

“Right now.”

Aria’s POV

I tried to say focused on my work but my heart hurt so badly that I couldn’t help but be distracted throughout the day. The only moment that pulled me out of my misery was when I became made aware of the head trainer’s direct attack against me, telling the drivers to ignore everything I said.

The head trainer wasn’t here. He didn’t care about these drivers or the effects of the new diet and the new workout regime. I doubted he even looked at the reports I sent over showing a decrease in performance and health after starting the trainer’s new plans.

Now, the drivers all seemed torn. Some threw caution to the wind and continued to listen to me. Others shied away from having to speak to me.

Jackson was yet to be seen this morning, which was unusual for him. Despite his rambunctious nature, he took driving seriously. He’d never before been late to the track.

Twenty minutes later, while the other drivers were already out on the track, Jackson emerged from the headquarters building. Frowning, he seemed pissed as he approached.

“Where the hell have you been?” his manager asked him.

“Talking to the boss,” Jackson replied.

Liam? Perking, I glanced back at him. Jackson met my eyes for a long moment, then looked away, entering his car.

Something about him seemed… off.

Especially out on the track.

Despite being a professional, he was making rookie mistakes, even to the point where he was endangering himself and the other drivers on the track. This wasn’t even a real race and he nearly put one of his teammates in the wall.

Over the radio, I heard him apologize.

“Sorry, man. I’m not myself today.”

“Well, wake the hell up,” snapped the other driver, pissed.

I cued in my own headset, “Jackson, come back to the pit.” It was the politest, most subtle way I could call him off the track without accusing him of anything.

When the car parked, he hopped out of it. I approached him, but he immediately turned away from me.

“Jackson?” Some hurt cut into my voice. “Of all people I thought would ignore that email, you were on the top of the list.”

He stopped at my words. Immediately, he turned around and came back to me.

“That head trainer can go to hell,” Jackson said. “That’s not what I’m worried about.”

“Then what’s going on?” I asked.

“Nothing.”

“Clearly it’s not nothing for it to bother you this much. Let’s talk about it.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Jackson,” I pressed. Lowering my voice so the others wouldn’t hear, I told him. “You were driving recklessly out there. Distractedly. Something is bothering you, and if you won’t talk to me about it, then I have to send you to psych before you inadvertently hurt yourself or others.”

He gave me a hard look for a moment, then sighed. “Fine,” he grumbled, grabbed my arm, and then ushered me to a more discrete corner of the pit, away from the crews and the managers.

“I saw something,” he said. “Something that I wasn’t supposed to see. And… it’s something that could hurt someone I care about if they knew. So I don’t want to tell them. But at the same time, as their friend, I feel like they deserve to know.”

I considered his words objectively, thinking of what would be right in this position.

“You have to tell your friend,” I said. “Even if it hurts them. If you feel they deserve to know, then you are probably right. Trust your gut.”

Jackson frowned but nodded. He didn’t say anything.

“Okay?” I asked.

“I went to Liam’s office to complain about the head trainer. I even printed out that email the head trainer sent. I was going to throw it on Liam’s desk and demand he do something about it,” Jackson said.

I braced myself, slowly realizing that I was the friend who deserved to know. All of the blood rushed to my head so fast I thought I might pass out, but I didn’t. I held on. I had to hear the rest.

“Go on,” I said.

“There was already something on his desk when I walked in,” Jackson said. “Someone.”

“What are you saying?”

“Joanna was bent all the way over his desk, Aria. She was giving him quite the show with her blouse open like that.”