He nods once, then turns and starts walking back the way we came. His stride is long and confident, and I watch him for just a second before forcing myself to look away.
I unlock my gate and walk up the path to my front door, fishing my keys out of my pocket. Peanut and Butter are whining, eager to get inside.
I slide my key into the lock.
All I want is to look back and catch one last glimpse of him, but I don’t.
I step inside and close the door behind me, leaning back against it with a heavy sigh.
11
Wren
“You did what?” Sally’s voice rises an octave, drawing looks from the two patients waiting in reception.
I wince and lean closer to her desk, lowering my voice. “I said no. I told him I had to work on those files.”
“Wren.” Sally drops her face into her hands and groans. “Please tell me you’re joking.”
“I’m not joking.” I shift my weight, already feeling defensive. “I committed to getting those files done by today. They’re paying me really well for the overtime, and I couldn’t just—”
“Yes, you could have.” Sally lifts her head, her expression somewhere between exasperated and amused. “You absolutely should have gone and had coffee with him. Those files aren’t going anywhere. They’ve been sitting in storage for years. A few more days won’t kill anyone.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “That’s not the point. I made a commitment.”
“And Grim made an effort.” Sally leans back in her chair, studying me. “Do you have any idea how big a deal that is? The guy doesn’t talk to anyone. He barely grunts most of the time. And he asked you out for coffee.”
“A friendly coffee,” I correct. “He said friendly. That’s very different from an actual date.”
Sally rolls her eyes. “Semantics.”
“It’s not semantics. It’s an important distinction.” I glance toward the hallway, making sure no one can hear us. “He’s trying to be nicer to everyone because of that complaint. That’s all this is. He probably felt obligated to ask me, since we ran into each other.”
“At a park,” Sally says slowly, “near your house.”
“Yes, near my house. He said that he had an errand in the area.”
Sally gives me a look. “Wren. Come on. Use that brain of yours. What are the odds that Grim just happens to be at a park near your house on a Saturday afternoon?”
I open my mouth to argue, then close it again.
I shake my head. “He said he goes there to relax. To be in nature. It makes perfect sense. Otherwise, it means he was waiting there for me. That’s a bit… I don’t know…creepy. He isn’t like that.”
“Okay, fine. He happened to be there, but he also happened to ask you out for coffee.” She points at me. “That man likes you, Wren. And you turned him down to sit at home with a bunch of files.”
“I would never have finished my work if I’d gone,” I repeat. “I had only gotten through one and a half boxes when I ran into him. Look, it’s better this way. My feelings for Grim are very different from his feelings for me. He sees me as a colleague. Maybe a potential friend, at best. That’s it.”
Sally opens her mouth to argue, but I hold up a hand.
“Even if he did see me as more, we work together. Soon I’ll have enough money to buy my dream home on the Mainland, and then I’ll leave. It’s no use starting something. Not now.”
“You know what your problem is?” Sally leans forward, her expression serious. “You’re so busy planning for this future life on the Mainland that you’re not actually living your life right now.”
“I am.”
“Are you really? You only live once, Wren.” Sally’s voice softens. “Work isn’t that important. Money isn’t that important either. Not when compared to actually experiencing things and connecting with people. You should have gone with him.”
For just a moment, doubt creeps in. Maybe Sally is right. Maybe I’m being too rigid, too focused on my plans and my rules and my commitments.
