“That was quick.” I chuckle as I take the seat opposite her.
She pushes one of the iced teas toward me. “I needed to get out of the office. My boss is driving me crazy.”
“Me too, except my office is my house, and my boss is my husband.”
Mila’s shoulders shake with laughter, and I roll my eyes.
“Go on.” She waves a hand. “Vent. I could use something to take my mind off work.”
“It’s nothing you haven’t already heard before. He’s being his usual hot-and-cold self.” I sigh before taking a sip of my tea.
"Did you give any more thought to what I said the other day?"
Of course, I did.
Her voice has been in the back of my mind ever since that conversation last week where she suggested getting to know Ronan instead of fighting him. It’s what led me to cooking dinner for him in the hopes of spending some time together, and in some ways, it worked, seeing as we ended up in hisbed. But then just as quickly as the connection formed, it was once again severed by his temper.
"I thought about it. I even tried to give things a shot. But Ronan... He’s impossible.”
“These things will take time?—”
“The annoying thing is that there is definitely something there, Mila.” The words come spilling out. “I can feel it, and I know he does too. But every time we get close, he slams the door in my face, and we’re right back to where we started."
She gives me a knowing look. "That sounds exhausting.”
"It is."
"So, what are you going to do?"
I shake my head before tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "I don’t know. Right now, I’m taking a break from thinking about him.”
“How’s that going?” Mila laughs.
“Clearly, not great. Please tell me what’s going on with you. I need to talk about some drama that isn’t mine."
She grins as she leans forward to squeeze my hand. "Oh, I have plenty of drama to fill you in on.”
We sit outside the deli for an hour, laughing and gossiping like we did back in college, splitting a turkey sandwich and a plate of fries as Mila fills me in on her own dating life.
Spending time with her feels like slipping into another life, one that doesn’t involve secrets and encrypted bank transfers, and for the first time in days, I feel like myself.
I wish she didn’t have to go back to work so we could spend the entire day in the city, but at some point, I’ll have to go home and face Ronan and whatever mood he’s in.
Yet, it seems the universe might have other plans, as the moment I climb back into the car after waving goodbye to Mila, my phone buzzes.
I wonder if perhaps Mila has decided to call in sick therest of the day after all, but then I see my brother’s name on the screen, and my good mood instantly vanishes.
Callum: Can you stop by? Need to talk.
I hesitate,my thumbs hovering over the screen.
I’ve not spoken to Callum since the wedding, and not because I don’t care about him, but it’s kind of hard to forget he’s the very reason I’m married to Ronan.
Why did it have to be me who had to save us? Wasn’t there some spoiled mafia princess out there who he could have tied himself to instead?
I grind my teeth as I read Callum’s message once more.
What the hell could he possibly need to talk to me about?
