“I know.” She nodded slowly. “That was always the problem.”
My phone vibrated against the desk and both of us looked down. Milan’s name appeared across the screen.
Milan:Did you ask if I was working just to disappear?
I stared at the message a second longer than I should have.
When I looked up, Simone was watching me.
“That’s her, isn’t it?”
I didn’t answer and my silence had her releasing a low laugh as she looked away. “Wow.”
“What?”
“Nothing. It’s just…” She shook her head. “You’re sitting here telling me you barely know this woman, but your whole face changed when your phone lit up.”
“My face ain’t change.”
“Okay, Kaiden.”
Even with me telling her that, I still picked up my phone and typed back.
Me:Got busy.
Milan:Sure you did.
I smiled before I could stop myself.
When I looked up again, Simone was staring at me like I’d just proved every point she came here to make.
“Since when you start smiling at text messages.”
I put my phone down. “You keeping track on when and what I smile about now?”
“I was with you for three years. I don’t have to keep track, boo.”
I didn’t respond.
Simone stood and picked up her purse from the chair beside her. “I should go.”
“You just got here.”
“I got what I came for.”
“And what was that?”
She looked at me for a long while. “I think I wanted to know if seeing you again meant something.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means a part of me wondered if enough time had passed for us to try again.”
I sat up straighter, clearing my throat.
Simone smiled, but her eyes looked sad. “Don’t worry. I’m not about to ask.”
“Simone—”
