“You are so full of it.”
He cracked a grin. “Maybe.”
“Definitely.”
“Since we’ve established that, I want to know what I can do foryou. What do you want? What makes you happy? What makes you feel loved?”
The flush on my cheeks morphed into a burn. I pulled my blanket up higher. “I don’t know.”
“You haven’t made a list for that yet?”
I laughed a little. “No. When would I have needed it?”
“With a boyfriend or something.”
“Now you’re fishing for information.”
“Of course I am. I’m full of it, remember?”
“Right. How could I have forgotten?”
He grinned. “Beats me.”
“I dated someone for about four years. Josh. We broke up about two years ago. I thought we were going to get married, honestly. Emmy hated him from the beginning, but she never said that, of course. That’s not really something she would do. I thought we were deeply in love, until the day I broke up with him.”
“What happened?” Connor didn’t look angry, necessarily, but there was something in his eyes. Jealousy, maybe? Uncertainty? I wasn’t sure what to call it.
“It’s kind of a long story.”
He lifted his arm, acting like he was checking his watch. “Looks like I’ve got time.”
I shook my head, but couldn’t fight my smile. “Still full of it.”
“At least you remembered, this time.”
I laughed.
My humor faded as I launched into an explanation,. “Josh and I both worked for the same big finance company. That’s where we met, shortly after I graduated college. We were in the same department, and we became friends quickly. He asked me for help with his work sometimes, and I didn’t mind. He’d been struggling to move up for a few years, and I felt bad. His constant attention made me feel like I mattered, and I never felt that from my family, or anyone else.”
Connor’s eyes darkened.
I hesitated. “Are you sure you want to hear this?”
“Fucking positive, Gorgeous.”
I let out a soft breath. “He asked me to dinner one day, joking about it being a date. I was flattered, and excited. We talkedabout work the whole time, and I loved it. I thought it meant we were passionate about the same things. Numbers, ideas, investments, and whatnot. I loved it so much that I went home with him that night. That date turned into another, and another, until we were together every night and most mornings. It went on for a year before I blurted out that we should move in together. He agreed, and moved into my place.”
I had Connor’s complete attention.
Suddenly, I regretted starting the story anyway. What if he thought I was a bitch after he heard it? What if he thought I was gullible or stupid or something? “I don’t think you want to hear this.”
“I think if you don’t tell me the rest of this story, I’m going to knock on your door all fucking night until you’re annoyed enough to finish it.”
I sighed. “Just don’t judge me, okay?”
“Deal.”
I leaned against the doorway, holding my blanket tightly around me. “We both went for the same promotion right after we moved in together. I wasn’t surprised when he got it—sexism was a big problem in that company—even though I had the best numbers in the department.”
