My stomach flutters with nerves.
“I was?—”
“What are?—”
We both stop at the same time. Indy cracks a small smile. I release a nervous giggle.
Which is silly. Nothing’s changed between me and Indy. I still care about him, and I think—hope—he still cares about me.
Except.
What comes next?
Gathering my courage, I blurt, “So, now what? If Manny’s in jail, that means I won’t need to stay here anymore. Right?”
Indy goes tense beneath me. “Are you in a hurry to leave?”
“No. But you have other clients. Ones who might need this apartment. So?—”
“We still need to wrap things up with the case,” he interrupts. “I wouldn’t say it’s safe to leave yet.”
“But soon. Right? Which means I have to go. Back to—” My voice catches. My eyes burn.
“Bea.”Indy cups my cheek. “Don’t cry.”
“I’m not.”
I am.
“You are.” His gaze burns into mine. “Do youwantto go back to DC?”
“No.” It’s out before I can stop myself.
Surprise jolts his face. “You don’t?”
Heat floods my cheeks. Staring down at my lap, I whisper, “No. Maybe it’s stupid. I know we haven’t been together long. But if I go back to DC… there’s nothing. I can’t go back to work. Not with Jenna gone, knowing everyone thought I killed her. And…” I swallow hard. “You won’t be there. I won’t get to see you. I’ll be all alone and you’ll be here and I just… When I think about it… I feel terrible inside.”
Indy stares at me for a long moment. His expression is unreadable. Then he lifts me off his lap and sets me beside him.
My heart falls to my feet.
Too much.
Too fast.
I messed everything up.
“Bea.” He takes my hands in his. “I don’t want you to go back to DC, either.”
“Then—”
Indy takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “I don’t want you all the way across the country, Bea. But it’s not fair of me to ask you to give up everything.”
“You’re not.”
“But Iwantto. That’s the thing, Bea. I want you here. Where I can see you every day. Where I can take you on real dates and you can… shit. I don’t know. It’s selfish. I know it is. Wanting you to come here instead of offering to move to DC.”
“But you have Blade and Arrow. Eden. Of course you have to stay here.”
