Page 20 of The Truths We Find

“Oh, this is normal for her when on a deadline for a big project. She gets hyper focused and it’s kind of hard to break her out of it. Don’t take it personally.”

“I also just don’t feel like talking to you right now,” Dani mutters.

“Oh right. And there’s that.” Alexa shrugs.

She’s pissed. I get it. But this attitude can only last for so long. We need to be professional. I let it go for now.

“I will take that as my cue to let you ladies work. I’m here if you need me. And if you want to order dinner, let me know and I’ll put it on the company card.”

“Well in that case, we’ll take steak and lobster please,” Alexa says.

“Nice try.” I smile. “Come by my office in a few hours and let me know what you want.”

As I’m leaving the room, I hear Alexa say, “Thanks, Gavin.”

I mouth, you’re welcome back to her on my way out, but Dani still refuses to turn around.

Her deliberate avoidance hits me harder than I expect. I try to shake off the sharp twist in my gut, willing myself not to care. I have too much work to do, too much at stake, to let Dani’s silent tantrum derail this. Still, a part of me hurts at the dismissal, and it continues to nag me as I make my way back to my office.

Chapter 8

Dani

Alexa and I didn’t end up leaving the station until almost eleven that night. We were able to get a lot done, but this is just the beginning of a long week ahead for us.

As I park my Jeep into my apartment parking spot, the weight of the day hits me, and pure exhaustion settles into my bones. I notice Sam’s bike sitting nearby, and the feeling of dread takes over. I know the minute I walk inside, he’s going to bring up everything from earlier, and I’m too tired for that. Part of me is debating leaving and sleeping at Alexa’s, but that would probably just make things worse.

I push open the front door, but instead of an upset boyfriend waiting for me, I find a picnic set up in the middle of our living room. The coffee table has been pushed aside, replaced by a red blanket spread across the floor, topped with plates of food and two large glasses of red wine. The room is lit only by candlelight, the flames casting warm shadows along the walls. The air smells faintly of garlic, and soft music plays throughout the room. For a moment, I just stand there, exhaustion forgotten, taking it all in as warmth replaces the knot in my chest.

“What… what is this?” I whisper.

Sam comes out from the kitchen and pulls me into a deep hug. “This is my apology. I didn’t react well to the Gavin thing. And it wasn’t fair for me to get mad about you working late. I was just really excited to finally have some alone time with you since it’s been a while. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

Still holding me close, Sam slides a hand behind my head and pulls me in for a kiss.

“You don’t have to say anything,” he murmurs against my lips.

The warmth of his mouth is familiar. Safe and comfortable. After nine years together, I don’t expect butterflies anymore. The truth is, I’m not sure I ever did when I kissed Sam. I’ve always told myself it was because we were friends first for so long, that we skipped the fluttering, nervous stage and went straight to something steadier. We became an old married couple, without the marriage.

I part my lips, letting Sam’s tongue find mine. He deepens the kiss even more and lifts me into his arms.

“I want you,” he growls.

“It’s been a really long day, and I have a bit of a headache. I’ll make it up to you.”

Sam sighs and puts me down. “Okay. Let’s eat then.”

Something else we don’t have? An active sex life. The first time we slept together, at the beginning of our relationship, it was awkward as hell. I told myself it made sense, him being my best friend first. Over time, it got better. It’s not like I don’t get off most of the time, but just like with kissing, the spark never really showed up.

And not every relationship has fireworks. Not every love story looks like a fairy tale or a romance novel, where passion explodes and follows you forever. That’s what I’ve always believed, anyway. With Sam, everything else is so good. It’s easy and solid. I love that about us.

Still, every once in a while, I wonder if something is missing, or if this is just what real love is supposed to look like.

We use dinner to catch up on each other’s lives. I fill him in on the big project Alexa and I were working on, and why it will probably mean a lot of late nights this week. The thing I can’t keep avoiding is the elephant named Gavin in the room.

“So, I guess we need to talk about Gavin,” I say quietly into my wineglass.