“Honey!” she screams out when she finally can’t help herself anymore, interrupting me in the middle of a sentence. “Didn’t I tell you I had a good feeling about this man?”
“You did.” I roll my eyes in good faith.
“Now I have to meet him.”
“Ben la. You already met him, Mom.”
“Not since you two have been together!”
I wince. Will and I haven’t had … the talk. Instead, our lives seemingly collided in slow motion, as inevitable as theTitanicand the iceberg.
But are we ‘together?’ A thought pierces through me like a dagger—are we even exclusive? I shouldn’t assume. Assuming makes an ass out of people. Especially with a dating history like Will’s.
Tonight. I need to clarify this tonight.
“So can I come over for dinner tonight, then?”
Huh?
“Uh …” I try to focus on the conversation. If I say no, I won’t hear the end of it.
I sigh, rubbing the bridge of my nose. A gust of wind passes through my hair, sending shivers down my spine all the way to my toes. “Okay. You can come to dinner.”
I just hope this doesn’t scare Will off.
CHAPTER 30
WILL
The scowl adorning Ryan’s thick eyebrows is definitely not a good sign.
He leans back against his chair, arms crossed. I came here today specifically to talk to him, and now that Sophie’s busy, I thought it was a good time. But I dread it. Just as I thought, Ryan looks furious.
I’ve only come back to the office once since Sophie got sick. As it happens, Ryan wasn’t there. Of course, this doesn’t mean I’ve let any of my work suffer. Even when I spend my days working with Sophie, I keep up with all my other clients.
But I haven’t been able to face Ryan yet.
“Will,” he starts, using the name typically only reserved for outside of the office. “I’m disappointed.”
I lower my head and pinch my lips. “I know. I’m sorry, Ryan. I know you told me not to go, and all I’ve done is work from home since then, but?—”
He raises a hand, his brown eyes issuing me a warning. I stop. “That’s not what I’m talking about.”
My brows furrow. If that’s not what he’s talking about, then what could he be?—
“I’m disappointed because you weren’t upfront about you and Sophie’s relationship.” Oh. He uncrosses his arms. “Don’t make that face. And don’t lie to me.”
Daggers swim through my abdomen. Shit. This is exactly why I wanted to talk to him. But Ryan knows me too well. “I wanted to tell you,” I start, fighting to find the right words. “That’s why I came here today. To tell you, and to apologize. I’m sorry I haven’t come forward before.” I force myself to look him in the eyes. “I’ll accept any disciplinary action without argument.”
Ryan raises an eyebrow in confusion. “Disciplinary action?” Then, understanding washes through him, and he smiles, leaving me even more confused. “Will, I don’t care about the conflict of interest. You already told me upfront that you and Sophie knew each other. That’s not what this is about.”
“Then what is this about?”
His frown is back. “I’m disappointed you didn’t trust me enough to tell me about it earlier.” He turns his arms, leaving his palms facing the ceiling, a gesture of surrender. “I told you—I care about you, man. And I don’t want you to fuck this up.”
“What?”
“She’s not like the others, is she?”
