When the server comes and Anthony orders for both of us, the rolls he mentioned plus miso soup, edamame, and sake that arrives warm in small ceramic cups. I take a sip, letting the alcohol burn down my throat, steadying my nerves.
“So,” I say, setting down my cup, “is this weird for you too? Sitting across from me instead of... watching from a distance?”
His laugh is rich and genuine, crinkling the corners of his eyes. “Definitely weird. But the good kind of weird.”
“The best kind,” I agree, feeling some of the tension dissolve between us.
The server returns with our edamame, and we fall into the rhythm of pulling the beans from their pods, a simple activity that gives our hands something to do while we navigate this new territory.
“I should probably tell you something,” Anthony says after a moment, his expression turning slightly strained. “About Eli.”
My stomach tightens. “What about him?”
“Well, he streamed with GameStream… I own that company. I actually came home to do an internal investigation and his named popped up. I thought you should know that before we continue.”
“All right, is there anything else?” I ask, unsure whether I want to know or not.
“Not much that I know of right now. I can tell you that Eli may be linked to a missing person’s case.”
I sit quietly for a moment, letting that information sink in. All the times he’d left, was he hurting other women and not just cheating?
Anthony cuts through my thoughts, changing the subject. Sensing that I’m starting to spiral. I can’t handle any more information about Eli right now. I just got free from him.
“And Mia,” he says
“What about her?”
“She threatened to tell you everything if I didn’t do it myself.” He pops an edamame into his mouth, chewing slowly. “After that night at the club, when she recognized me, she gave me an ultimatum. Said if I didn’t come clean by the end of the month, she’d tell you herself.”
I laugh, picturing Mia’s fierce expression as she laid down the law to her brother. “That sounds like her.”
“She was right, of course,” he continues, leaning forward slightly. “You deserved to know the truth. But then... everything happened with Eli, and it didn’t seem like the right time to dump more complications on you.”
The mention of Eli’s name again sends a chill through me, despite the restaurant’s warmth. I take another sip of sake, letting its burn chase away the cold memories.
“Is that why you stayed away?” I ask. “These past two months?”
Anthony’s eyes soften. “I wanted to give you space. I knew being with Mia and Valerie would help you heal better than anything I could offer at the time. And I didn’t want you to feel pressured or confused about... whatever this is between us.”
The consideration in his words touches me. After years with Eli, who only ever thought about his own needs and desires, Anthony’s thoughtfulness is like water in a desert.
“I appreciate that,” I say quietly. “The space helped. But I also missed... something. Someone. I just didn’t let myself acknowledge who.”
Our miso soup arrives, steaming in small black bowls. I wrap my hands around mine, soaking in the warmth.
The server brings our sushi, colorful rolls arranged artfully on black platters. We eat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, the delicate flavors of fresh fish and rice filling my mouth. Anthony wasn’t wrong about the dragon roll. It’s delicious.
As I watch him across the table, chopsticks moving with grace between plate and mouth, something shifts inside me. The attraction I’ve felt since that first meeting at the bookstore hasn’t faded with time or distance. If anything, it’s grown stronger, deepened into something more substantial. This isn’t just physical desire or the rebellious thrill of doing something Eli would hate. It’s not a rebound or a desperate grab for affection after years of emotional starvation.
It’s real. Real enough to survive two months of silence. Real enough to make my skin flush hot when Anthony’s gaze meets mine.
“What are you thinking?” he asks, catching me staring.
The truth tumbles out before I can stop it. “That I want you. That these two months haven’t changed that.”
His chopsticks pause halfway to his mouth. “I thought you wanted to take things slow.”
“I did. I do.” I search for the right words. “But I also spent ten years of my life not doing what I wanted. Not being who I wanted to be. I’m done with that.”
