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“Sabine,” he said seriously.
She turned back to him just as her face crumbled.
And then he was folding her into his arms. She clung to him and tiny little hiccups made her body shake. He held her close to his chest and rested his cheek on the top of her head.
What on earth had happened?
He’d been texting her most of the day and nothing had come up. He’d seen her briefly at the studio before he’d gone home to shower and get ready. Everything had seemed fine.
“Tell me what happened,” he urged, rubbing a hand in slow circles over her back.
“It’s stupid,” she said, pulling away again. She wiped at her face and hurried into the kitchen.
He followed and found her trying to clean her face with tissues. He set the rose down on the counter and she saw it. She inhaled and her lips pouted, and fresh tears streamed down her cheeks. She caught them with the tissue.
“Is it something I did?” he asked.
She huffed a surprised laugh and grabbed more tissues. “No, of course not.”
He worried his bottom lip, trying to decide between forcing her into another hug or calling Kara.
Sabine walked over to the island and picked up an official looking letter. “It’s stupid,” she said again. She didn’t hand him the letter but tossed it back onto the island.
He snatched up the offending letter and frowned as he tried to understand what it was saying.
Ms. Debois, thank you for applying… blah, blah blah… Unfortunately, you did not pass the required background check…
He glanced at the sender. It was from the city.
Fuck.
“I don’t even know why I applied. This is what always happens.” She took a stabilizing breath and blew her nose into the tissue. “Let me go shower. I can be ready fast.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “No, babe.” He tried to figure out the best way to say what he was thinking but there were too many options.
Fuck it.
He was just going to start talking and hope for the best.
“I’m canceling those plans.” He held her eyes and shook his head. “Let’s stay here, get some food brought in—you like Chinese?—and talk mad shit about local government.”
Her lips trembled with the beginning of a smile. “But you look so handsome and I was really looking forward to our date.”
That’s all he needed to know. And he didn’t even need to know that but hearing that she had been looking forward to their date felt incredible.
He took the steps necessary to bring himself closer to her and carefully tucked her hair behind her ears. He didn’t let go of her and she tilted her head back to look up at him.
“Sometimes plans change,” he said. “We can go out tomorrow. But I think tonight, we should stay in.”
Her eyes shone but it wasn’t the helpless tears from before. “Okay,” she whispered.
“Okay.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I have to make a call.”
She took a breath and he let her go. He watched her walk down the hall before pulling out his phone and letting his security know they could go home. Then he called the restaurant and canceled his reservation.
* * *
“I wasn’t even going to apply.” Sabine stuck her chopsticks into her to-go container.
