Page 52 of Curveball

“I think she saw the photos,” Maddie said under her breath to Emma.

“I’d say you’re right,” Emma sighed, moving closer. “Hey, Farrah. You okay? I wouldn’t put too much stock in those pictures or the articles. They’re always fake and over the top.”

I lifted my head just long enough to speak. “I’d like to believe that,” I said, before letting it fall back to the desk. “But this has happened before.”

Maddie winced. “Maybe talk to Walker before you jump to any conclusions.” She glanced at Emma, sympathy all over her face. “We saw the way he looks at you, Farrah. That man has it bad for you. I don’t think those pictures mean what they’re implying.”

Emma nodded. “She’s right. Just talk to him.”

I exhaled slowly. Was it all in my head again?

I’d told myself Walker left because he was scared. That he needed time to sort through his feelings. I thought if I finally opened up—if I stopped holding back—it would be enough. That we could give this another shot.

But what if he didn’t run because he was scared?

What if what he didn’t want… was me?

Maybe he wanted to keep things light. Casual. Maybe having a daughter made me too complicated. Maybe I was just familiar. Easy. Someone to hook up with while he was back in Primrose Hill.

My phone pinged. A pit formed in my stomach when I saw Walker’s name.

Walker: Hey Wildflower. I just got back into town. Do you want to come over for dinner? I think we should talk.

I turned my phone toward Emma and Maddie. Both of their faces lit up.

“See?” Emma smiled. “Everything’s fine. Just go talk to him.”

“Or he wants to explain the photos and end whatever this is,” I objected.

Maddie scoffed. “Please. He called you Wildflower.”

I rolled my eyes and typed out a reply.

Me: I’ll have Hadley. Can you come over, and we can just order pizza or something? 8 work? Hadley will be in bed by then.

Walker: Sounds good. See you tonight.

I set my phone down.

I didn’t have a good feeling about this.

I had the pizza waiting on the table and had just finished putting Hadley down for bed when a knock sounded at my front door.

I opened it to find Walker standing there. He looked nervous. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his jeans, and I could hear the faint jingle of keys as he fidgeted with them. Still, he managed to flash that devastating Walker smile as I stepped aside to let him in.

He pulled me into a quick hug before we sat down to eat.

“You know, I was planning on cooking for you,” he teased, grabbing a slice of pizza.

I let out a small laugh. “You know how to cook?”

Walker pressed a hand to his chest, feigning offense. “Of course I do.” He took a bite. “I’m pretty good on the grill. I was going to make us steaks.”

“Well, if I’d known that, I would’ve found a sitter,” I said, forcing a smile as I took a bite of my own slice.

The truth was, I wasn’t hungry. My stomach was knotted tight, nerves churning beneath the surface. I just wanted to get this conversation over with. But if I didn’t eat, Walker would notice. He always did.

We made small talk until the pizza was gone. I cleaned up the dishes while Walker waited, then we moved to the couch.