“How was the date with Heather?” Wynter asks, glancing around like she expects her to appear.
“She went home.”
“She’s classy,” she says lightly, though there’s an edge to it. “You won’t find her vomiting on tables or putting out on the first date. Bet you didn’t even get a kiss.”
“On the cheek,” I say. “If that counts.” I smirk.
She doesn’t. She stares down into her hot chocolate instead.
“I didn’t leave Anika alone,” she says after a moment. “Catherine stopped by. They were catching up. I didn’t want to intrude on family time.”
There’s that word again.Family.
I exhale slowly. “I’m sorry,” I say.
She doesn’t look at me. “I know you don’t apologise often,” she mutters. “You’ve made that clear.”
I ignore the jab. “I’m serious, Wynter.” She looks at me properly now. “I was out of line,” I continue. “Everything I said earlier . . . it wasn’t just wrong, it was cruel.” Her jaw tightens slightly, but she doesn’t interrupt. “I shouldn’t have spoken about you like that. Not to Anika. Not to anyone.” My voice lowers. “And definitely not to you.” The silence stretches, but I push on anyway. “And what happened between us . . .” I hesitate, then force myself to meet her eyes. “I meant it when I said I was drunk, but not in the way it sounded.”
Her brows draw together slightly. “I wasn’t out of control,” I explain. “I knew exactly what I was doing.” My jaw tightens. “And I wanted it.” Her breath catches. “I said that to hurt you,” I admit, “because you pulled away and I didn’t like it.”
I almost surprise myself at the honesty that slips out. “I don’t handle rejection well,” I add bluntly. “So, I lashed out.”
She studies me carefully now. Weighing it. “Funnily enough,” she says slowly, “it wasn’t the date dig that bothered me.”
I nod, knowing her next words before she’s said them. “The fact you made me sound like some cheap fuck,” she continues, her voice sharpening. “The comments about me not beingfamily . . . and the way you told Anika about us like it was nothing.”
Every word lands. I don’t interrupt as she continues. “You don’t have to point it out,” she adds. “I know Catherine’s amazing. I know you wish she stayed. And I know you don’t think I can do the job the way she did.”
I shake my head immediately. “That’s not—”
“But you hired me,” she cuts in. “And when I offered to leave, you told me to stay.” She shrugs. “So, I’m staying.”
“Good,” I say firmly. “I want you to.”
My words surprise her. She hides it well, but I still see it.
“I’ve only been here a couple of months,” she says, more quietly now. “But I like Anika. And Sebastian.”
“They like you too,” I tell her.
A beat passes. I lean slightly closer. “What about your boss?” I ask. “Do you like him?”
She glances at me sideways. “He can be a bit of an arse,” she mutters.
A smile pulls at my lips. “Yeah,” I say. “I’ve heard that. I’ll try to be less of one.”
“Anika thinks I should tell you about Josh,” she says, watching me carefully.
I tense. I don’t want to hear about her boyfriend. But she doesn’t give me the chance to stop her.
“He died,” she adds quietly. My frown deepens. It’s not what I expected her to say. “There’s not really a word for it,” she continues, her voice uneven. “If I’d been his wife, I’d be a widow. But I wasn’t, so I guess he’s just . . . a boyfriend who died.” She lets out a soft, bitter breath. “But that doesn’t feel like enough. Not for what we had.” Her eyes flick to mine. “It feels like I’ve been cheated somehow.”
Something shifts in my chest. The jealousy I felt earlier disappears, replaced with something sharper. I reach out beforeI can stop myself, my hand settling on her knee, giving it a gentle squeeze.
“I’m sorry,” I say, gently.
It’s not a word I use lightly.
