Page 79 of Beni

So, yes.

The answer was easy.

She didn’t just like that man—it was more than that. More complicated than that. A complex wrapped around a yes she was scared to say.

“Aug?”

She glanced up to meet Camilla’s stare, finding her friend looking less amused and more … caring. “Yeah?”

“You didn’t answer me. Do you like him?”

“I do.”

“Why did it take so long to say it?”

“Because it’s not simple.”

Camilla nodded, but said nothing. August appreciated that. It was one of the things about her friend that she didn’t think a lot of people realized, honestly. Yes, Cam was a little over the top, and could be a bit much to handle at times. And then there were moments like these when her friend just knew to … back off. No questions asked.

“I uh, didn’t tell him that my flight leaves in two days,” August added quieter.

Air hissed through Camilla’s teeth. “No?”

“Couldn’t bring myself to say it.”

“You would rather him find out when he realized you weren’t here anymore, then?”

“No.”

“Well, that’s what will happen.”

God, she knew.

She did.

Camilla shrugged, setting her cup down to the table at the same time. “Look at it like this … if it’s something that will go somewhere, or he’s a man worth keeping—and you know I never believed in that before Tom—then he’s going to wait, or he will figure it out. You both will figure out something, or a way to make it work, no matter what. If it’s real, if he knows what he wants and so do you, then what’s meant to be will be.”

“Cheesy.”

“And?”

Yeah.

August just sighed.

The two fell into a comfortable silence as their food was finally brought to their tables. Sub sandwiches and freshly sliced fruit. A refill on their coffees, and they dug into the food. August was grateful for the lack of conversation because she wasn’t willing to face the fact that she had yet to make a real decision on Beni, Chicago … and well, everything else, too. Maybe because she was just scared of what it would mean, but that didn’t matter.

Right?

August had no clue.

“Cam, August, what are my chances to find you two here?”

August didn’t mean to stiffen at the sound of Alessa Conti’s voice behind her, and yet she still did. She still hadn’t told Camilla about the meeting she had with Alessa to talk about taking a job with Manic Media in Chicago, and didn’t think now would be the best time for her to figure out.

And yet, it seemed like she wasn’t going to be given a choice.

“August,” Alessa said as she came to stand next to their table, “have you given any thought to what we talked about? I hear you’re leaving soon, so I was curious.”