She didn’t even blink. “Did you at least enjoy the waffles?”
“He used my dad’s recipe,” I muttered defensively. “Dad taught him how to make his special dessert waffles. I couldn’t say no.”
Her expression softened, but there was a foxy glint in her eyes. “I had no idea your dad and Sebastian were close. That’s really sweet.”
“Yeah.” I looked away. “I thought you were Sebastian when you knocked.”
“That’s a curious reaction for someone who just got waffles.”
“That’s not why— It’s complicated.” I started to rise, but Lily clamped her hand over mine like a velvet vice.
“It’s Sunday afternoon, I’ve got nowhere to be, and people pay me a fortune to listen to their problems. You get a free session. Start talking.”
I shot her a glare, but she didn’t flinch. No one won a staring contest with Dr. Lily Menendez.
Finally, I sighed. “Fine. He brought the waffles, we talked... one thing led to another, and for a minute, I thought he was flirting with me.”
“Was that why you got mad?”
“No. I got mad because, while he was maybe-flirting, Candi was on her way to his apartment. And I think that’s pretty damn inappropriate. Don’t you?”
Lily smoothed her skirt, her face unreadable. “I don’t judge. I listen, and help people figure out their own truths.”
“Oh, don’t pull the therapist card on me now. Just tell me what you think.”
She tilted her head. “Are you sure he was flirting?”
“I don’t know. We were talking about our horrible taste in partners, and how we keep falling into relationships that go nowhere. Then he asked if maybe we could save each other from shallow connections.”
Lily’s lips twitched. “That definitely sounds like flirting. What did you say?”
“Nothing. That’s when Candi messaged him. He told me afterward that it wasn’t serious or exclusive—which is exactly the kind of thing guys say when they’re trying to justify cheating.”
I could feel the bitterness in my voice.
“Want a drink?” I asked quickly. “Water? Bourbon?”
She grinned. “Just water. And maybe a fork. You are sharing the waffles, right?”
“Sure.” I jumped up, grabbing plates, forks, napkins, and a couple bottles of water from the fridge. Whatever this was turning into, we might as well stay hydrated for it.
Lily took a generous piece of waffle, drowned it in toppings, and took a bite. Her eyes fluttered closed as she moaned. “Oh, my. A girl could fall in love with a guy who cooks like this.”
“Plenty probably do,” I muttered. “I’ll take integrity and loyalty over a great waffle recipe any day.”
“What makes you think Sebastian doesn’t have either? Maybe he wasn’t lying. Maybe his thing with Candi isn’t serious.”
I huffed. “Maybe I just read too much into it. Maybe he wasn’t flirting, and I’m being dramatic.”
Lily chewed thoughtfully. “Sue thinks he’s had a crush on you for years. She told me he always asked about you.”
I buried my face into my plate. “She mentioned that once. I didn’t take it seriously. Sebastian always struck me as the type who’d sleep with any woman who was pretty and available. I’m not signing up for that kind of chaos.”
Lily’s expression gentled. “I’ve always thought you carried a deep distrust of men. Where’s that coming from?”
“Sometimes it only takes one bad experience to break your faith in people.”
“Did someone break yours?”
