“Good morning,” he murmured while sliding his mask back over his mouth and nose, his eye crinkling as he gazed down at her. She got a quick glimpse of a mischievous, crooked grin before it disappeared beneath the black KN95, and she matched it with one of her own.
“Well, that’s different. I like it.”
“Me too.”
“Feel better after yesterday?”
“Loads better. You have no idea.” He caressed her cheek gently with only the slightest tremor before pulling away to sit. Some of his eye crinkles faded slightly. “You’re not having second thoughts after last night or anything, are you? You weren’t too embarrassed for Violet to see my face and that’s why you put my mask back on while I was…” He trailed off when she scowled at him.
“Theo. I swear, if you question me one more time, I—”
He held up his hands and the tips of his ears turned bright red. “It was a joke?”
“No, it wasn’t,” Audrey said with a snort. “But nice try. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”
“I’d never get rid of you. In fact, I’d never want to be parted from you if it were solely up to me.”
She bit her lip in amusement. “You say that, but you’ve never tried my cooking.”
“I’m sure it’s wonderful.”
“It’s not. And I also kick in my sleep, according to Vi. Hard.”
“I can take a few hits. I’m very sturdy.” Theo paused and blinked for a moment. He frowned. “Well, okay, maybe with onereallynotable exception.”
Audrey gaped at him. “Oh my god. Did you just make a joke about your accident?”
He blinked again, and then the crinkles very slowly deepened anew around his eye. His mask shifted across his face as he beamed beneath it, and his expression lit up. “You know what? I did. Dr.Harper would be so proud of me.”
Audrey couldn’t help but beam right back. “I’mso proud of you!” She grabbed his hand across the table. “You going to tell me what happened now?”
“Nope.”
“Ugh,fine. But you need to tell me someday.”
“Sure, but I’m not going to ruin this moment. Let me have this.”
“All right.” Her smile faded. “Speaking of ruining things, I met Diego today.”
Theo’s eye crinkles faded completely, gone twice as rapidly as they’d appeared. “What?”
Uh-oh.
“Did he come in here?” His voice dipped low and his entire body stilled.
“Yes.” She gripped the handle of her mug and Theo’s eye narrowed.
“Why?”
“For…a cappuccino.”
“And?” His gaze darkened.
“And…” She winced. “And to tell me about how you moved all of your various doctors’ appointments so you could come see me at work every day.”
His left eye twitched.
“Excuse me for just a second.”
