Page 43 of I Choose You

I couldn’t tell him it was a work connection. That would complicate it all. Brooke wasn’t only someone I knew through business. Sure, it had taken a chance acquisition email to reunite us, but now that I’d spent time with her, I saw her as an acquaintance, a friend, first.

“Uh, someone I know from high school actually.” I rubbed my jaw, not making direct eye contact with Kody. Through my peripheral vision, I noticed him tilting his head and narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

“From high school?” he asked. “Who?”

“Someone.”

Dad wasn’t worried about the details. He patted my back. “That’s great, Kaden. I’m sure she’s a lovely girl.”

Lovely. Sexy. Edgy. Honest. Stubborn. Determined. She’d been on my mind enough that I could go on.

“Who is it?” Kody asked again.

I smiled at Dad, ignoring my brother.

“Bring her to the dinner tonight,” he said.

I gaped at Dad. I said I might have someone to bring!

“Tonight?” That was fast. Panic kicked in.

He slanted his brows. “Yes. Tonight.” He seemed to think that would be a natural thing for me to ask of a woman in my life. Already, I’d put my foot in it too far. With that one simple reply, I was invested.

It would help if it didn’t feel like a lie.

Of course, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary to ask a woman I was slightly close with to come to a dinner at the last minute.

“Okay?” Dad asked. He peered at me, curious and expectant.

I nodded. “Yep. Sure.” I shot to my feet, eager to escape the room. Kody bored into me with his stare, and I didn’t want to have to tell him I had Brooke in mind.

He had to know. He wouldn’t remember her fucking name, but he’d know. I’d recently mentioned her. We hadn’t talked about anyone else from our graduating class in forever. It was too much of a coincidence that I could have been talking to anyone else from high school.

“I’ll be right back,” I said.

“Kaden.”

I ignored my brother and left.

I strode down the hallway until I neared the empty office of the HR idiot who’d started another affair. He was long gone, and his vacant office was an ideal spot to hide.

So much for leaving the ball in her court.

I couldn’t wait for her to make the next move—if she planned to at all.

I unlocked my phone and went to our text thread.

Kaden: SOS

I drummed my fingers on my knee as I waited for her reply.

“Please don’t be busy right now,” I whispered.

As soon as the trio of dots blinked, I exhaled a long breath of relief.

Don’t get your hopes up just yet.

Brooke: Sounds serious.