I slapped my hands over my face. "Oh no," I whispered into my palms. Margot just grinned like a cat who'd found cream. "Sure, sure. You justhappenedto be walking by."
"I thought I lost something." I said.
"Yeah," Margot said, "Your last brain cell the second you saw him bend over that workbench."
I rolled my eyes dramatically and stalked off toward the door before I could humiliate myself further. My pulse was still racing, I reached for my keys, I noticed my lunch bag sitting on the counter, packed and ready.
Tucked neatly at the top of the bag was a small note:
Please don't forget to eat. I know you'd try to push through without it. —R
I leftmy pulse still erratic. He knows—he knows how easily I forget to take care of myself when I'm buried in work. The romantic in me was twirling like some lovesick Disney heroine. The cynical part of me was crossing its arms, glaring, reminding me of all the reasons I needed to be careful.
By the time I got to work, I was emotionally wrung out, and then I saw Finn.
Perfect.
Going on a date with a coworker had not been my brightest idea. But Finn had been persistent, and a part of me had thought maybe, just maybe, he could make me forget Ryder.
Spoiler alert: he could not.
Finn caught sight of me and grinned, leaning against the counter like he had been waiting for me. "Well, if it isn't my favorite almost-girlfriend."
I sighed. "We went on one date."
"And it was a good date," he said, grin widening. "Which is why I was hoping for a second one."
I hesitated, my stomach twisting. "Finn, it's... not fair to you. I can't go on dates with someone when my heart..."
"Belongs to someone else?" he finished gently.
I nodded. "Yeah, and my trust is kind of... broken right now. In men. In relationships."
For a second, I expected him to get offended. Or awkward. Or at least back off. Instead, Finn chuckled softly. "That's okay."
I blinked. "What?"
"If you let me, I can be patient," he said. His tone was warm, not pushy. "You don't have to figure it all out today. I can just be here. No pressure."
I stared at him, feeling both guilty and oddly relieved.
"Thank you, Finn. But I'm not interested."
"For now," he said lightly, and left.
The moment I stepped through the doors after my shift, the evening air embraced me, and so did the sight of him. Ryder stood there, unhurried and steady, as though he'd been waiting his whole life for this one moment.
''Hey Dec, you usually walk home, right?'' he asked.
"Yes..." I said slowly. "Why?"
"I thought I'd walk with you. But if you'd rather be alone..."
"That's ridiculous," I said before I could stop myself. "You're already here."
That made him smile — soft, almost shy, but pleased. "Good. Let's go then."
We fell into step together. The streets were quiet, lined with old trees, the air smelling faintly of salt from the harbor. I loved walking this way, it was my time to clear my head but tonight my thoughts were anything but clear.
