“Nothing major. Just some scheduling stuff.” He picks up his fork, but he’s not looking at me. “The label wants to know when I’m coming back. There’s a meeting about the next album. They want me there in person.”
“When?”
“Next week.”
My stomach drops. “That’s soon.”
“I told them I’m not ready. I just got back—just gotyouback.” He meets my eyes. “I’m not leaving.”
But all I hear is the echo of what he said a decade ago.
I can’t leave.Not when I finally have her.
That’s what he told me then. And I left because I couldn’t stand being the anchor around his neck.
“You should go,” I hear myself say. “If it’s important?—”
“It’s not more important than this.”
“Levi—”
“Delilah.” His hand covers mine. “I spent ten years building a career because I didn’t have you. Now I have you. The career can wait.”
I want to argue, to tell him not to put his life on hold for me, not again. But his eyes are so sure, so steady, that I let it go.
“Okay,” I say.
He smiles, and we go back to our food, and I pretend the knot in my stomach isn’t tightening with every passing minute.
We’re finishing dinner when I hear it.
“Well, bless your heart.”
Penelope Waters materializes beside our table like she was summoned by negative energy. The Mayor trails behind her, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else.
“Penelope,” I say. “Hi.”
“Delilah.” Her gaze slides between me and Levi, sharp and assessing. “I heard you two werereconnecting. I didn’t realize it had progressed to candlelit dinners in Beaufort.”
“We’re just having dinner,” Levi says. Polite but cool.
“Of course you are. How sweet.” Penelope tilts her head, considering me like I’m a bug under glass. “It’s so nice to see you settling down, Delilah. Finally. After all these years of…well. Moving around.”
There’s poison underneath the words. I can feel it seeping in.
“We should let them eat, honey,” the Mayor says, tugging at her arm.
“I’m just being friendly.” Penelope’s smile widens, all teeth. “Enjoy your evening. Both of you.” She pauses, her voice dropping low enough that only I can hear. “While it lasts.”
She glides away. The Mayor mouths “sorry” as he follows.
Levi watches them go. “She has too much time on her hands.”
“It’s fine.” I pick up my wine glass and drain the last of it. “Really. She just likes getting under people’s skin.”
He doesn’t look convinced, but he lets it drop.
The rest of dinner passes pleasantly enough, but Penelope’s words are stuck in my head like a splinter. No matter how hard I try to focus on Levi—his laugh, his stories, the way he looks at me like I’m the only person in the room—I can’t shake them.
