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I glanced down at the combat boots Margot lent me, the ones that laced up my ankles. Her voice actually sounded sincere. “Thank you.”
She turned back to Terry. “Well, I should head out. Don’t be a stranger.”
“I’ll be around,” he promised her, and I couldn’t help but notice his eyes glance toward the coffee machines, as if looking for someone in particular. “When I saw your social media page blowing up, I had to see what all the fuss was about. I should bring my brother next time—I feel like he’d love this place.”
Harry’s lips curved. “He’s the artist, right?”
“He is. So good, too. I think he’d thrive off all the inspiration this place has.”
“Well, I’m no artist, but I feel inspired the second I walk in,” Addy piped up, her wide smile so contagious. She was more of a planner than an artist, but I saw the markers she’d bring with her sometimes, watch her doodling in the pages. She definitely had a creative side.
“I’ll bring him sometime,” he promised, and then looked at Harry. “It was great to see you again. I’m glad to see you’re doing better. Really.”
Something about Harry’s demeanor shifted then, but I couldn’t figure out what the change was. “Glad to see you, man. We should catch up soon.”
Terry glanced at me. “I’d like that. You can tell me all about how you met your lovely girlfriend.”
Gah!I waited for Harry to laugh, to deny the word, but instead he dropped my hand, using his free fingers to rest on my back. “For sure.”
Terry tipped his head at me. “Nice to meet you. To meet you all.” After a second of hesitation, he pulled out his phone. “I almost forgot…I got a new number. Got too many spam callers on my old one.” He gave Harry a steady look.
One that Harry seemed to understand. “Here, let me put it in my phone.”
“You can give it out to people you trust,” Terry said, and once more, his gaze roamed the counter, but Jonathan still lingered in the back. I couldn’t stop my grin from surfacing.
Vincent moved away to wipe down the countertop by the time Terry headed out into the night, and Addy propped up against the counter, filling the to-go sugar packet containers.
Harry’s hand slid off my back, and immediately I turned to him. “Jonathan was the one to use the g-word,” I said, the words practically bursting out of me. I kept my voice quiet enough, thank God, but I still felt like a dweeb saying it. “I know we haven’t had that conversation yet, but I thought you should know. What Jonathan said. Because he said that. Not me.”
“There’s that fast-talking again.” Harry’s mouth ticked into a smile, a crease forming near his cheek. “We haven’t had that conversation. But I guess I’ll make where I stand clear—I’m not kissing anyone else.”
“Me either.”
“Great. So, we’re mutually only kissing each other.”
“Right.”
“So, thatkind ofmakes us exclusive.”
“Kind of,” I allowed, biting my lower lip to keep from smiling.
Addy glanced over her shoulder at us, smirking. “You two are cute. But a little weird.”
“Very weird,” Vincent agreed, folding the towel he’d been using. “Almost as weird as your horror movies, Adeline.”
“Hey, youlovethem,” she objected, and the two of them fell into a conversation.
Taking advantage of their distraction, Harry leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to my mouth. Even though it was short, it zapped through me all the same. “Terry,” I started, looking up at him, only a tiny bit dazed. “He seems really nice. Were you two partners in crime? Because Terry and Harrysosound like a crime-fighting duo.”
Harry smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Not necessarily crime-fighting.”
“He mentioned he spent timelocked up.” I felt conflicted about saying anything, but I couldn’t help but think of Jonathan. “Is he…dangerous?” The word felt way too offensive to describe Terry, but I had to ask.
“Not at all,” Harry answered without a beat, but the tense look in his eyes remained. “He…it was a case of wrong place, wrong time.”
“I’m glad you said that because you’re going to give his number to Jonathan.”
“Jonathan?”
I wrapped my arms around Harry’s waist. “Uh,yes. That whole ‘give my number out’ thing? He totally meant you could give it to Jon. Which you should.”
Harry grinned, skimming his hands up my arms. It elicited goosebumps everywhere, accompanied by a small shiver. “You’re playing matchmaker?”
“Weare.”
Harry wrapped his arms around me, and I practically fell into his embrace, so warm and comfortable. “I’m glad you had nothing more important to do tonight.”
“It’s been a slow weekend.”
Harry pressed his mouth to the top of the Stella wig, bringing me closer. “Lucky me.”
