I groaned as the heat from the shower eased the tension in my shoulders, at least somewhat, and hissed when the water poured over the slightly raw skin on my face.
After a ridiculously long time, I turned off the taps and wrapped a towel around my hair, another around my body.Luka wasn’t in the bedroom or the open-concept kitchen, living, and dining room.
In fact, I realized he wasn’t in the condo.And I had to get ready for Ida Jane’s wedding today.I’d booked a hair and makeup appointment at my favorite salon.I turned to the clock on the microwave.I was running late.
I crammed my body into a clean pair of leggings and a tunic and grabbed my purse and phone, unsure what to think about Luka’s absence.
We needed to talk.In order to talk, he needed to be here.
He wasn’t here.Ergo, he didn’t want to talk to me.
I knew that wasn’t totally rational.That was the thing about the mind—it led me to fucked-up conclusions I knew were wrong, but somehow eased the tension in the rest of my body when I accepted them.
My hunger warred with my nausea as I called a rideshare to drive me to the salon.I left the condo with one last, forlorn look, wishing I’d handled last night better, wishing I had more to eat than the crumbly snacks I’d packed for the flight.
Wishing I knew if I was coming back to the condo, and if Luka could forgive me for not responding with my own three important words back.
Words I’d been desperate to say since my mother died.
Chapter10
Luka
Millie’s text message chimed on my phone, pulling me out of my zoned-out running.I glanced down at the machine in the building’s gym and grunted in shock.I’d been on the thing for over an hour and run more than ten miles.
My knees wobbled as I turned it off, and I barely got off the machine before my legs collapsed under me.
I hung my head and breathed hard, sweat pouring down my face and further soaking my already damp T-shirt.
A large metal water bottle filled my vision.I squinted at it before I tipped my head back and met Cruz’s concerned gaze.
“Drink.It’ll help with the cramps you’re going to have.”
I took the bottle from his hand and uncapped the lid.The water was cool, but not too cold, and it slid down my parched throat like a freshly sharpened blade through butter.I sucked back half of it before my lungs protested.I lowered the bottle, panting.
“Back with me?”Cruz asked.
That caused me to frown.“What do you mean?”
He gestured toward the machine.
“I’ve been trying to talk to you for the last twenty minutes.I was about to unplug the thing because I knew you were close to your limit.”
I offered him my hand, and he clasped it in his larger paw, yanking me up with an ease that made me feel like a toddler being hauled from the pool.He slid his palm from mine and supported my elbow as I struggled to maintain balance.I was going to pay for this workout tomorrow.“Thanks, man,” I said.
“Want to tell me why you were punishing yourself like that?”
I blinked, mouth open.Was I?My shoulders folded in, and I stared down at my feet.“I told Millie I loved her.”
“And?”Cruz prodded.
“She had a stuttering fit or a panic attack or something, then ugly cried all over me and passed out.”
Cruz grunted, seeming unsurprised.“Damn, I didn’t want to be right.”
My eyes narrowed.“Aboutwhat?”
He heaved a sigh before he bent down and grabbed the water bottle.Once he’d shoved it into my hand with a stern admonishment todrink, he motioned for me to follow him.
