I’d ask who that is, but I can tell by his furrowed brow that it’s someone who matters to him.
“You need to get that, don’t you?”
“Athena.” My name comes out like a plea between heaving breaths. “I’m sorry.”
I rub a hand over my eyes, silently cursing his phone. “It’s fine.”
“Give me two minutes,” he says before he turns to walk away.
The sound of a door shutting behind him sets me on a path to the sofa. I plop down on my ass, hoping that once Liam reappears, we’ll pick up right where we left off.
It’s beentwenty-three minutes since Liam disappeared down the hallway.
I’ve responded to six Wild Lilac emails. I sent a text message to Jeremy asking when he can meet me for lunch so I can pick his brain about my advertising plans for the upcoming holiday season, and I saved a recipe for a southwest chicken salad to the notes on my phone.
I’ll pick up everything I need to cook it and then go to Jeremy and Linny’s house. Their kitchen looks like it belongs on the Food Network.
Mine consists of a hotplate, a small refrigerator, and a pair of mismatched plates with some utensils I found in a drawer when I moved in.
I love cooking, so for now, I’ll take advantage of the open door policy at my brother and sister-in-law’s brownstone.
I still feel at home there.
The sound of a soft knock on Liam’s apartment door almost sends me off the edge of the sofa.
Startled, I twist around.
Whoever is on the other side, knocks again.
Smoothing a hand over my hair, I push to my feet, willing Liam to end his call and get out here.
Two more knocks fill the silence.
Should I see who it is?
I glance down the hallway, but the closed doesn’t open. All I hear is the faint sound of Liam’s voice.
Another knock from the apartment door draws me even closer to it. It could be a neighbor in distress, or maybe it’s that ten-year-old girl Liam gave flowers to.
It can’t hurt to open it, right?
I listen to my inner voice of reason and swing open the door.
“Hey, it’s you.” Darcy, the woman from the pirate -themed restaurant, shoots me a smile. “Athena, right?”
I step back when she pushes her way past me. “Can I help you?”
“You can’t.” She circles a finger in the air in front of my face. “Wolf can.”
My gaze catches on a brown paper shopping bag in her hand.
“I’m here to drop off some of his things.” With a bite of her bottom lip, she goes on. “He left them at my place. I thought tonight would be a perfect night to bring them over.”
Walking away from the open apartment door, I fetch my purse and jacket before I head right back in the same direction. “He’s on the phone.”
She nods as if that’s not news to her. “It figures. I’ll make myself comfortable while I wait for him.”
Running away isn’t something I do, but I need fresh air. Whatever’s in that bag in Darcy’s hand is part of the relationship they once shared.
