I finally felt like I'd put enough distance between myself and Captain Levi to make it home without being spotted. This time, when I rounded the corner, I checked my surroundings twice before crossing over to my place and slipping in through the back window.
I didn't bother turning the lights on. Just padded through the dark straight to my bedroom, peeled off my gear, and tucked it away under the loose floorboards. Once I'd showered and changed into something soft, I caught my reflection in the mirror—busted lip, swollen at the corner.
"Damn," I muttered, leaning closer. "How the hell am I gonna explain this to Mrs. Ida in the morning?"
A dab of medicine, then I flopped face-first onto the bed with a groan. "Aaahhh… so exhausted." The ceiling stain stared back at me like it had something to say. My mind replayed the night—losing Thomas Granger, the target, and that little run-in with Captain Levi.
Kicking my feet up and down against the bed like a bored kid, I huffed. "Ugh. Tonight was a disaster… well, almost. That chase with the Captain was pretty fun."
I rolled onto my side, staring out the window. "I hope I never see him again. He looked like he wanted my head on a silver platter."
A chill crept over me, but I just burrowed deeper under the blankets. "Although… maybe next time we could play a little longer."
I smiled to myself, and the edges of the night blurred until sleep finally pulled me under.
I woke up feeling better than I expected. My lip was still busted, but the swelling had gone down, and the bruise on my ribs—courtesy of a well-placed kick—was tender but not broken. I'd take that as a win.
Stretching out the stiffness, I got ready for the day and stepped outside. The air was crisp, the sunlight warm on my face. I closed my eyes for a second, letting it sink in."Today is going to be a great day," I told myself.
On the way, I stopped by a little bakery, grabbed a muffin and a coffee, and kept walking toward work. For a night that went so horribly wrong, I felt… strangely good. Probably because of that little cry session I'd had. I guess I'd finally let some of that pent-up emotion and tension bleed out instead of letting it choke me from the inside.
I push open the shop door, the little bell above it ringing."Morning, Jade," Mrs. Ida calls as I walk past her toward the back. I slip into my workspace, ready to tackle the pile of projects I need to finish. The hours start flying by—needle, thread, fabric, repeat—until the bell chimes again.
"Jade, can you come up front for a moment?" Mrs. Ida's voice carries through the shop.
I set my work aside and walk out, saying, "Yes, Mrs. Ida?" I glance at her… and then at the front counter. My heart drops into my stomach.
Captain Levi.
And some other young guy standing beside him. Levi's eyes sweep over me slowly, his face unreadable and flat. I can't tell what's going through his head—and that's what makes it worse.
Shit. He knows.No, wait… there's no way. He never saw my face last night. He's not here for me—he's here for his order. Right. The order I was supposed to have ready by the end of the week… which I haven't even started yet. Shit, shit, shit.
"Ah, Miss Jade," Mrs. Ida says cheerfully. "It seems the captain has one more that needs to be fitted for this weekend."
"Oh, of course," I say, forcing my voice to sound calm. "I think I can fit one more in. Right this way."
I lead them into the back. Levi takes a seat while the younger man steps up onto the fitting podium.
"What's your name and rank, sir?" I ask, pulling out my notepad.
"My name's Jean. Just a scout, no rank," he says.
I glance at Levi out of the corner of my eye—he's just staring at me, like he's smelling something foul. I swallow hard and look back at Jean, forcing a polite smile.
Jean's easy to work with—respectful, friendly. We make small talk, and he's actually pretty funny. I find myself laughing more than I probably should. While I'm measuring around his neck, he catches my eyes and says, "Sooo, Miss Jade… I have to say, you have the most beautiful green eyes. They really suit your name."
My hands freeze. Plenty of military men have hit on me before, but it's always crude or disgusting. This is… sweet. So sweet that I can't help myself—I grin wide and suddenly throw my arms around him.
"Awww, that's so sweet!"
He stiffens in surprise before hugging me back—only for it to last half a second before Levi yanks him backward by the collar.
"Do you have what you need, Miss Jade? We need to get going," Levi says flatly.
I blink at him. He still has that look—like he wants my head on a silver platter. Or maybe that's just his face. I smile and say, "Oh, yes. Sorry if I took longer than usual." I glance at Jean. "It's not every day someone makes me laugh while I'm working. You're quite funny."
Jean rubs the back of his neck. "Jeez… well, if you think I'm funny, you should meet some of my friends—"
"Absolutely not," Levi cuts in sharply. "They're all idiots. Let's go, brat."
Scarlet in me wants to snap back, tell him he can't tell me what to do. But Jade wouldn't. So I bite my tongue and walk them to the front.
I write out their ticket and hand it to Levi. He reaches for it—but instead, his hand comes up to my face. His thumb brushes against my lower lip. I wince at the sting. When he pulls back, there's blood on his thumb.
Great. All this smiling must've cracked it open again.
He takes his cravat, cleans the blood off his hand, then reaches up to dab at my lip with the white cloth. "You should be more mindful of your injuries," he says coolly. His eyes meet mine for only a second before dropping back to my lip, checking if it's still bleeding.
I can't even think of what to say. He always sounds cold—even when he's trying to be nice. I just nod.
He pockets the cloth, and my brain finally kicks back on. "Thank you," I say quietly. "I'll try to be more mindful in the future." I give him a small smile—small enough not to tear the skin again—before turning to Jean. "It was great speaking with you today."
Jean smiles with a faint blush. "Likewise. You're easy to talk to. See you around."
They head for the door, and I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. Hopefully, Levi hasn't connected the dots about last night.
Mrs. Ida steps out from around the corner. She catches the tension still hanging on me. "Jade, are you alright? I know how you feel about military men… but last time you seemed to get along with the captain. Was that not the case today?"
I straighten up. "Oh, no, it's nothing like that. I just had a long night."
I smile and head back to work, keeping my hands busy and my thoughts guarded.
The rest of the day dragged. My mind kept wandering back to how David and I were going to fix last night's colossal screw-up — letting Thomas Granger slip right through our fingers.
Mrs. Ida stepped into the back, pulling her shawl tighter."Jade, I'm heading out now. You okay to close up the shop in about thirty minutes?"
I gave her my best reassuring smile. "Of course. I'm just about done anyway. Have a good night."
She waved and left, the little bell over the door giving a cheerful chime that didn't match the mess running through my head.
Once my station was clean, I locked up, stepping outside into the early evening. The sky was still painted with the last streaks of sunlight — only 6 p.m. Plenty of time to grab some groceries before heading home to cook.
I'd just started walking when a hand clamped around my arm.
My body reacted before my brain did — heart slamming, muscles tensing. I spun my head toward the grip, eyes locking on the one person I really, really didn't need to see standing in the middle of the street.
Captain Levi.
"Oh— my, you scared me," I said, forcing my voice to stay light even though my pulse was hammering. I took a small step back, angling myself to face him. He didn't let go.
He just stares at me.
Shit… did he know this whole time and just play it cool? My stomach twists. My guard snaps up, every instinct telling me he's about to drag me into custody.
Then he speaks.
"Who did this to you?"
…Not what I was expecting."What?"
He nods toward my mouth, eyes never leaving mine."Who busted your lip?"
I touch my lips and force a tiny smile. "Oh, this? Um… I ran into the door at home."
Really, Scarlet? That's the best you've got?
His stare sharpens. He's not buying a damn word."Who did it?" His voice is flat, cold — and his grip on my arm tightens just enough to make my pulse spike.
I glance down at his hand, then back at him. I pull free, taking a step back."It doesn't matter. They got what they deserved. Why do you care, anyway?"
I can't read him. That bothers me more than I'd like to admit.
He moves suddenly — one step and he's in my space again, fingers catching my chin, tilting my face to the side. His eyes scan the cut like he's cataloging every detail.
"Tsk."
Just that. Then he releases me and walks past without another word.
I turn, watching him go, but he never looks back.What the hell was that about…