Nicole POV
he day after the briefing felt like a heavy weight on my shoulders. The moment I walked into Jasmine's farmhouse, I could feel it. The air in here was different, but it wasn't the house—it was me. I'd tried to tell myself I'd keep it together, keep it "normal" for her sake. But that wasn't working. My thoughts were consumed with everything Ortega said, everything he didn't say. The weight of the mission and the role I had to play was more than I expected. Getting missions and hunting down criminals wasn't new for me, so why is this so different? I knew deep down why Jasmine was. Sure we have only been dating for a couple of weeks but I don't know when I fell for her. Just knowing that she and the kids could be in danger just made my heart ache.
Jasmine had been cooking when I arrived, the warmth of the house greeting me as soon as I stepped inside. She noticed me immediately with her usual warm, welcoming smile until her expression changed to confusion and she took a small step back. It was subtle like she was testing the waters, sensing something was off.
I greeted her with a kiss, but it felt delayed, almost like I was forcing it. She picked up on it because her eyes narrowed slightly, watching me carefully.
"You're quiet today," she said, her voice light but with a hint of concern. "What's going on inside that pretty little head of yours?"
I forced a smile, trying to brush it off. "Just work stuff. Debriefing, mission prep. You know the drill." It came out more detached than I intended.
Jasmine leaned against the counter, watching me closely, but she didn't press. Instead, she teased, "Did you finally get tasked with fixing all the broken equipment again? Tell them to get their own damn mechanic."
I half-smiled, the joke barely reaching my lips. "If only it were that simple."
She let the silence stretch between us, and I could feel her patience. She knew something was wrong but wasn't going to push. I didn't know if that was a blessing or a curse. It was one of the things I admired about her. She had an uncanny way of letting people come to her in their own time.
We sat down at the table, and Jasmine started talking about Raine's track meet, how Sol was starting archery, and how Robin had called her just the other day. I nodded along, but I barely registered her words. My fork hovered halfway to my mouth, and for a long moment, I just stared at it, not hungry, not engaged.
"Nicole," Jasmine's voice pulled me out of my head. "Did you hear me?"
I blinked, meeting her gaze. "Sorry, just tired."
She didn't say anything, but the concern in her eyes was unmistakable. There was no hiding it from her. She could read me like a book, and I hated it. Because right now, I couldn't tell her what was going on. Not yet. Not until I had answers. My focus shifted briefly to the window, and I could hear the quiet of the farmhouse, the distant sounds of the farm. It should have been calming, but it only made me more anxious.
As we ate, the weight of the briefing kept pressing in on me. Medusa. The thought of that name gnawed at the back of my mind. What if she was here, watching, waiting for the right moment to strike? I know it was highly unlikely, but my paranoia was getting the better of me. I couldn't shake the idea that danger was closing in, just out of reach.
I kept my gaze fixed on my plate, but the quiet of the farmhouse seemed to intensify the noise in my head. It should have been soothing, the soft hum of the farm and the far-off sounds of birds, but it only made the tension in my chest grow.
"You'll tell me if anything's wrong, won't you?" Jasmine's words echoed in my mind, laced with concern. I couldn't meet her eyes just then. My heart was too heavy with the secrets I was keeping from her.
"Yeah, of course," I said stiffly, forcing the words out, knowing they didn't match the truth.
But in my heart, I knew I wasn't telling her everything. It was for her own good, her safety.
The conversation drifted back to lighter things, but it felt like I was barely holding on. When I finished my meal, I excused myself, saying I had to head back to base.
"I'll walk you out," Jasmine said, standing up. Her expression softened, but there was something else there too—something I couldn't place. Maybe she suspected the distance between us, but she didn't ask. Not yet. I was grateful for that.
We walked outside together, the air crisp against my skin. Jasmine leaned against the porch, watching me. There was no rush, no pressure—just her quiet observation.
"I'll see you soon," I said, my voice tight.
Her gaze softened, but there was a flicker of something deeper in her eyes. "You're not okay, are you?"
I opened my mouth to reply but stopped. What could I say? That I was falling apart inside? That I didn't know how to handle the pressure of this mission, of the secrets I was keeping? I was afraid Medusa was closer to home than I realized.
I shook my head, forcing a smile I didn't feel. "I'm fine. Just need to focus."
Jasmine nodded, her gaze steady. "If anything's wrong, you know where to find me."
I didn't trust my voice, so I only nodded. As I turned to walk to my car, I could feel her watching me. Her eyes were sharp, catching everything, but for now, she wasn't pushing.
It wasn't until I got into the car and drove away that I let the tension fully hit me. The weight of what I'd just left behind—the unanswered questions, the fear of what was to come—pressed in on me. I could feel the invisible walls closing in, with Jasmine and the kids on one side, and the mission on the other.
The job wasn't just about bringing Medusa down anymore. It was about protecting the people I loved from a danger I wasn't sure I could fight. How could I keep them safe from something so shadowed, so out of my control? From a ghost who was closer than I wanted to admit?
And yet, as I drove away, I couldn't shake the feeling that the storm was already here, swirling closer with every mile. But I couldn't go back. Not yet. There was too much at stake. Too much I had yet to understand.