“Why?” He narrows his eyes on me and shoves a strawberry in his mouth. “I’m not telling you. That’s not important.”
“What if I’m just jealous?”
His frown falters and he smiles. “Don’t be. You two aren’t comparable.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I could never imagine a real future with him. We were doomed from the start.”
“But it’s different with me?”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. I didn’t say that.”
“But that’s what you meant, right? That you can see a future with me?”
He shakes his head, but it doesn’t seem like he’s rejecting me. More like he’s afraid to admit it.
“Anyway,” he takes a long sip of coffee before continuing, “I’m comfortable in my hotel room. I don’t see the point in getting an apartment if I won’t live in it.”
“Why wouldn’t you live in it?” I ask, taking a bite of my pancake and downing it with coffee.
Aoi digs into his own plate and takes a bite of jam toast, reveling in the taste and making my heart flutter.
But there’s something he’s not telling me.
“Why would I?” he shoots back, glancing at his scarred arm.
“Because on the long term, having your own place is more comfortable and much cheaper,” I say, trying to make sense of his point.
He smiles at me, lashes fluttering and I feel myself floating on a cloud. Seems he’s trying to distract me from the topic. Yet unease grips the inside of my throat.
Sensing the shift in his stance, I change the subject. “What are you up to today? Do you need to go somewhere? I can drop you off if you need.”
He shakes his head. “No need. I’m merely going back to my hotel room to work.”
“What have you been working on lately?” I ask, shoving a piece of mango in my mouth and expectingly awaiting his response.
Amusement shining over his expression, he cocks a brow at me. “Do you ask because you don’t know or simply because you wantmeto say it?”
I almost choke on my mango. “How would I know? You haven’t told me yet, so I’m genuinely interested.”
“You’re so shameless.”
“Maybe.”
His phone starts ringing, interrupting our conversation. For a long second, we stare at each other until he reaches for the device. “I have to pick up. It might be important.”
I glance at the name on the screen, and a shiver of disgust runs down my spine. “Don’t pick up. Please.”
He stares at me confused by my request, brows furrowed, yet he obliges. “I guess I’ll call him back later. It would be rude to answer while we’re eating.”
We’re long done eating, but I omit the obvious because he’s ignoring it too, for my sake. I get up from my chair as he starts heading toward the bedroom.
Before he can escape me, I pull him into my arms and embrace him tightly, placing a kiss on his bare shoulder. He curls into my touch as though it brings him comfort.
It sure as hell bringsmecomfort.
“What’s the matter?” he asks, leaning his head back against my shoulder to look at me.
