Derek
Well, don’t eat too many. I’m coming home early. Be ready for me.
Me
What time?
Derek
Why? You have more big plans today?
Merry Christmas to you,too, asshole.
I suddenly regret every bite I ate, and it threatens to come right back up.
Me
There’s a big difference between 3:00 and 8:00. Just want to make sure my timing is good for you.
Derek
I’ll be home at 2:30. Rent’s due anyway ;)
That givesme hardly any time at all.
Talon comes back to the table a few minutes later, the stress of the phone call lingering in his eyes.
“Bad news?” I ask, forcing my own drama to the side.
“Just part of being me,” Talon says cryptically. I want to ask for more information, but that would most likely requiregivingmore as well, and I definitely don’t want to do that. Especially now.
Nodding, I flag our waitress as she passes by.
“Could I get the check when you have a second?”
The waitress shoots Talon a look, and he nods.I wasn’t aware I needed permission to pay for my own meal.The claws of desperation, as well as the news that Derek is coming home early, are dragging me back down to the pits of hell, and my mood is plummeting just as fast.
“Ready to go so soon? I was maybe going to see if you wanted to walk around for a bit or something,” Talon says, killing me slowly.
“I’m really sorry. Something came up, and I need to head home.”
Talon slowly raises his eyes to mine.
“Derek?”
Hearing my boyfriend’s name fall from Talon’s mouth is all wrong. Talon is far too good, too honest, toohappyto taint himself by having Derek’s name roll off his tongue.
“Yeah.Dahlia?” I ask pointedly.
“A disgruntled ex-girlfriend,” he answers easily.
“To match my toxic boyfriend,” I answer with a humorless snort.
“Will you ever tell me why you stay with him?” Talon asks as our waitress approaches.
“Probably not,” I admit.
As she steps next to the table, the waitress looks between Talon and me before placing the little black book on his side of the table. I mightbepoor, but I take care to present myself so that people would never know, and I’m a little miffed that she just assumes Talon is paying. Although he is older than me, he doesn’t really look it.
