Only I’m scared to.
Nate’s here, telling me all the right things, but I’m waiting for the shoe to drop.
Having him back in my life feels like the missing puzzle piece I’ve been searching for for decades, but how long until I lose it again?
He holds me tight for another moment, then pulls back and kisses me on the edge of my lip so quickly I almost miss it, then stalks off back into the restaurant.
To his date.
Nate
“Come on, Skye.” I coax her away from her favorite dog bakery, ignoring her hopeful eyes and wagging tail. “I need to get to work to see your mommy.”
“You’re a fucking loser,” Leo jokes beside me.
“How is Maddie doing? Other than killing it at work. Heard anything else?”
“Like what?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. How is she liking living in the city? Has she made any friends in the office? What are she and Addie up to?”
“What am I, the office gossip? How the hell should I know?”
“Because you make it your business to know everything.” He doesn’t answer, so I look over to him, texting away, smiling like a fool. “Who are you texting?”
He flashes me his screen, and I arch a brow. “When the hell was this?”
“Last weekend. Twin sisters.” He bites his bottom lip, shaking his head as if remembering his wild night out.
My phone rings as we near our building.
Harrison.
“Yo.”
“Hi. Checking you’re still good to pick up Claudina from school tomorrow and then the same time next week?”
“Definitely. I rearranged all my meetings, but Seb leaves for Dubai in two weeks, and asked to pick her up next week. He said he was calling to tell you.”
“Not yet.”
“He will. How’s Jules doing?”
Our sister-in-law Juliette is pregnant with our first nephew, and we’re all going out of our minds waiting.
“Good, just uncomfortable. She’s ready to meet the baby.”
“We all are. I gotta go, we’re just getting home from our morning walk with Skye.”
“All right, let’s all do dinner next week before Seb leaves.”
“Sounds good. I’ll book it.”
“Oh, and don’t let Claud lie and say she doesn’t have homework. She will.”
I laugh. “I’ll bribe her with ice cream.”
“Oh fuck. Claudina thinks she’s going to school with lipstick on. She’s fucking seven, and I’m ready to have a heart attack.” Then he hangs up.
