A Warrior’s Second Chance novel Chapter 365

ALEXANDER

The phone was pressed to my ear, and my other hand traced the edge of the conference notes I had spread out before me.

It was one of those long, dry discussions about quarterly projections, supply chain issues, and the endless demands of running the company. I was already exhausted.

“Yes, I understand. No, I don’t think that’s feasible given the current production schedule. I can authorize a review, but we’ll need to adjust timelines accordingly. Absolutely, I’ll follow up with the team… yes, I understand. Thank you.”

I hung up, setting the phone down gently and rubbing my eyes. That’s when I turned my attention to Faye.

She was perched in one of the leather chairs, her fingers working at her nails in that nervous, almost compulsive way she sometimes did when she was thinking-or when she was trying not to think, which wasn’t much different.

I leaned back in my chair and studied her. “Hey,” I said, trying to keep my tone light, though I had the faint suspicion that she wasn’t in her usual energy.

Her gaze lifted briefly, locking onto me with those sharp, expressive eyes of hers. “Be honest with me,” she said suddenly, her voice cutting through the calm of the office, “do you think I have anger issues?”

I froze mid-breath. Anger issues? Faye? Of all people, it should have been me, if anyone. My mind ran through the possibilities. Was this about the conversation we had last night? Something at the house?

“Where’s this coming from?” I asked gently, leaning forward slightly.

She sighed and slumped a little in her chair, her fingers still twitching at her nails. “I yelled at Martha,” she confessed, her voice low but rushed, like she was trying to spill out everything before I could interrupt.” She… she made breakfast this morning… exactly what was on the menu. The same menu I designed, which she’s supposed to follow, but I-I didn’t like it, and I got upset. And I was acting crazy.”

I blinked. A short laugh escaped me before I could stop it. It wasn’t loud or mocking, just that instinctive chuckle that always seemed to find its way out when she started rambling in her earnest, almost frantic way.

She froze at the sound of it, and I felt my stomach knot slightly. She didn’t like it when I laughed at her feelings, and I realized too late that I hadn’t been careful with my timing. “Wait-don’t laugh,” she said sharply, her tone teetering between irritation and frustration. “I’m serious, Alexander.”

I raised my hands, trying to signal that I understood. “I am taking you seriously,” I said, suppressing the grin. “It’s just… the way you’re telling this-it’s kind of funny, in a harmless way. But I get it, I do. Go on.”

Her jaw tightened, and she gave me a look that could have melted steel. “It’s not funny,” she said, her voice now a little louder, “and I don’t know why I even got so worked up about it. Martha did exactly what she

She let out a breath, like she was trying to let my words sink in. She didn’t say anything, just sat there for a moment, her fingers still lightly fiddling with her nails.

She sighed, a long, drawn-out sound that seemed to carry the weight of her frustration and self-recrimination.

Then, with a faint shrug, she slumped deeper into the chair, letting go of her restless energy, her body easing against the leather.

She looked almost tired, the fight gone, replaced by that quiet, contemplative stillness I loved seeing in her because it meant she was letting herself be human.

I leaned back, letting my hands rest on my desk, and watched her. There was something about the way she’d gone from tense and excitable to subdued and reflective that made me smile softly.

“Are you feeling a little better?” I asked gently, though I didn’t expect a full answer. Sometimes just being heard was enough.

Faye’s eyes flicked toward me, briefly meeting mine, before she looked away again, exhaling softly. “I… I think so,” she said, almost reluctantly.