I felt the heat creep up my neck instantly, crawling over my cheeks.
Of course it did. My body loved to betray me.
I adjusted Honey in my arms, looking down at her tiny ginger head instead of Emily. “Oh,” I mumbled, trying not to sound too thrown. “He… mentioned me?”
“Mm-hmm. Said you might stop by for the cat sometimes.” She smiled again, oblivious to the storm she’d just caused. “You must be close.”
Close.
I didn’t answer that. Just nodded faintly, pretending to focus on the way Honey pawed at the hem of my sleeve.
Emily waved before stepping out the door, cheerful as ever. “Anyway, have a good night, Aurora. Honey’s all yours.”
And then the door clicked shut, leaving the apartment silent again. I stood there in the middle of his penthouse, heartbeat a mess, trying to process what she said.
Joshua… described me?
Small. Five-five. Brown hair. Soft and beautiful.
God.I hated how warm that made me feel.
I sank down onto the couch, Honey curling instantly into my lap as if she’d been waiting all day for me. Her tiny body was warm against me, a quiet vibration of purring filling the empty penthouse. I brushed my thumb over her ear, staring absently at the way the city lights flickered against the window.
He described you perfectly,Emily’s words echoed in my head.
Beautiful.
I exhaled slowly, trying to push the heat crawling up my neck back down where it belonged.
“Hey, Honey,” I whispered, scratching under her chin. “Am I… beautiful?”
Honey looked up at me with her big amber eyes, blinked once, then purred louder, pressing her little head into my stomach.
I couldn’t help it. A quiet laugh slipped out, shaky and embarrassed.
“Yeah?” I mumbled, leaning down, burying my face into her fur to hide the flush burning across my cheeks.
My mind then decided to wander. To him, of course.
Joshua Lockhart, complimenting me. Behind my back.
It shouldn’t have meant anything.
It shouldn’t have made my chest feel this warm or my lips want to smile. But God, it did.
He could’ve just told Emily,some girl might stop byand left it at that.
But no, he described me.
Small, brown hair, soft, beautiful.
Beautiful.
The word looped in my head as if it had nowhere else to go. Joshua didn’t throw around compliments. He barely threw words around at all. So for him to say something like that, especially to someone else—
It felt different. Feels nice.
I leaned back against the couch, Honey still pressed to my chest, and my mind betrayed me further.
