“Sorrento.”
“One cream, one sugar, and always some dad joke comment about how Jeanine wants him to eat less sugar.”
Harlan laughed, but his smile faded when he looked down at his hands. “I should probably get home and get ready for practice.”
I glanced at the clock. “I need to get there before you.”
“I figured,” he said. “I’ll just take a rideshare home. Don’t want to make you late.”
“I’m actually a little early now. If you can wait twenty minutes, I can drive you.”
“You sure?”
“Totally,” I said. “I better go hop in the shower, though.”
“Mind if I join you?” Harlan’s eyes were hopeful, but he hardened his expression when he saw my hesitation.
“We should talk about what this is.” I pointed between us, then tugged on the sleeve of my borrowed shirt. “You certainly made yourself at home.”
He smirked. “I also stole a spare toothbrush. Hope that’s okay, but, you know, oral hygiene first.”
“I respect that,” I said warmly. “And high adrenaline car chase aside, last night was fun.”
“It was. I’d like to have more fun,” he hedged.
“Me too. But I don’t want to have the pressure of work watching, and I don’t want to lie to Liam.”
Harlan chewed his lip. “Well, completely respectfully, of course, but does Liam need to know what you do when he’s not around?”
I shook my head. “Lies by omission are still lies, Harlan.”
“Open mind for a minute?” Harlan asked.
“Sure.” I put the coffee mug on my nightstand and wrapped my forearms around my knees.
“It wouldn’t be a lie by omission forever. But he might need more time to warm up to the idea. Or maybe you want to wait until you’re more sure about things. You could tell him whenever you want. I never want to get in the way of what you two have.”
Goosebumps rippled up my arms. Who knew my work nemesis could be so considerate?
“I love how much you advocate for his needs,” he went on. “And I want to make sure you advocate for your own too.”
I snorted softly. “And you think I need you?”
He drew in a deep breath. “Think of the bus. You deserve happiness. I think we’ve both learned life is too short to delay happiness.”
“And you make me happy?” I scoffed.
His seriousness brought me out of my teasing. I was joking to deflect my deeper feelings, but Harlan was getting real with me. Maybe the age gap didn’t matter as much as I feared it did. I was trying to level with him. But when it counted, Harlan was very mature.
He studied me and I was struck once again by the stunning color of his eyes. “I don’t know how you feel about me, but I know you make me happy.”
I glowed, an ember hoping to spark back into a flame. It was a simple statement.You make me happy. This man who sat on my bed, who respected my need for space, who understood my limits and boundaries, somehow, I made him happy. When wasthe last time someone told me that? Liam when he was a little boy?
“We deserve it, Em. For us. Even if it’s behind closed doors for a while. We deserve to live for today. To prioritize our happiness.”
I opened my mouth to argue and he raised his eyebrows to stop me.
“Not above all else. Other people and things still come first. But this,” he pointed between us, “us? We deserve to make the list.”
