Page 25 of The Perfect Heart

“I was trying to stay away from you because I ran into Nicole the other day, and she said you had something going on. And with you guys flirting the other night, I figured it was true, so I wanted to give you space. I think she feels threatened.”

Halle had said words, but none of them made sense as they tumbled around my brain.

“Wait, hold up. When were Nicole and I flirting?”

“The other day, when you were at the bar. That crazy busy night?”

“The crazy busy night?” I tried to think back, but all the days and my time at the bar ran together in my memory. And most of them were busy.

“When that guy Jonas from high school showed up.”

Jonas’s name made the memory click, the one of Nicole asking if I wanted to meet up with her after work for a “movie.” The moment I had looked up from Nicole’s hand on my arm to find Halle watching us with that strange look in her eyes.

“Shit.” I cursed softly, covering my eyes as I rubbed at my face. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

“About what?” Halle asked, her voice quiet with concern.

I sighed and dropped my hand. “There is absolutely nothing between Nicole and me. I have the feeling she wishes there was, but nothing is going on at all. What you saw was Nicole asking me over after work, but I turned her down because—”

Because Halle had been watching, and in that moment I’d realized I didn’t want to be with anyone but her watching a movie. And whatever else we could do.

“Nothing?” Halle’s face screwed up. “She made it sound like there was. She warned me off.”

“She warned you—” I started, incredulous, then rolled my eyes. “Shit, Halle. Why would you believe her over me? I’m telling you nothing is going on between Nicole and me. Yes, we had a few weeks of something several months ago, just like I told you, but it’s over. Completely done.”

Halle’s eyebrows dipped. “Well, how was I supposed to know? You told me, but it didn’t mean you two couldn’t have hooked up again since then.”

“You could have asked.”

From the instant pink cast to Halle’s cheeks, it was something she had been thinking of doing. Or knew she should have done. Or someone had told her she should do.

Not that I had any room to be talking. Talk about calling the kettle black.

Halle’s gaze had a question, her nose wrinkling with the effort it seemed to put the words out there. I waited quietly for whatever it was to find its way out.

I hadn’t said it so Halle, but I was pissed at Nicole. I hadn’t been a dick when I had ended things with her, but I had been clear that things were over between us, that I wasn’t interested, and that was it. I didn’t believe in leading people on, but I tried to think back to anything I might have done to make Nicole believe I was still interested or that we still had a shot at something. But nothing came to mind—I was friendly but not any warmer than I was with any of my other employees. I didn’t give Nicole any special treatment, and I stayed far away from any kind of inappropriate behavior.

That was just a given.

But somehow, Nicole had it in her head that we were a thing. Or that she had a chance. Or whatever had gotten into her head about us. But the fact that she had gone out of her way to find Halle and warn her off, though? With lies? That was something else.

Halle must have seen something in my expression because she shook her head. “You know, with people like that, it’s not worth it.”

“What’s not worth it?”

“Talking to Nicole. Making a big deal out of it. She’ll just get angry and defensive, and people like that can be dangerous when they’re angry and defensive.”

I watched her, trying to figure out where she had gained that knowledge, but neither Halle nor her expression told me anything.

“So you were going to say something?”

Halle’s cheeks grew pink again. “What do you mean?”

“Come on, Hal. I know you. You were deciding whether to say something or not.” I nudged her foot with mine, giving her a reassuring smile.

Her flush only spread as her eyes flicked away and then back to me. She licked her lips before she took a deep, steadying breath.

“Are you seeing anyone else?”