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He swallowed a lump in his throat. “Yes.” But he wasn’t only talking about his mom’s condition.
They walked in silence for a minute before she got to what was really on her mind, as he knew she would. “Have you thought about what we talked about?”
“What was that?” He refused to make it easy for her.
“You remember…about getting back together. You said you’d think about it. Well, it’s been a few weeks, so I was wondering…”
“I have thought about it.” He’d been thinking about nothing else until Zoey’s arrival.
“And…are you going to forgive me or keep punishing me?”
Punishing himself was more like it. He stopped walking, dropping his arm and stepping away from the warm invitation of her body. “I…I don’t know yet.”
She blinked up at him with wide, knowing eyes, causing his heartbeat to accelerate. “I love you, Tristan. And I’m pretty sure you still love me. I’ve apologized for what I did and asked for your forgiveness. If you still want me, you need to let me know that.”
“I…I know.”
“Good. Because I won’t wait around forever.” She leaned forward, the powdery scent of her perfume permeating his senses. “I have to run, but I’ll see you at the party later. I’ll be waiting for your answer.”
ChapterNine
“How long has she been sleeping?”
Lillian’s eyes fluttered, but some sixth sense made her keep them closed when she recognized Tristan’s deep voice. He was talking to someone.Dad?
“She was asleep when I got here at nine.”
“It’s eleven now,” Tristan murmured. He sounded satisfied that she’d obeyed his command to rest, which was annoying.
“Thank you for checking on her,” her dad said.
“It was nothing. But I’d like to ask you another question. Do you mind?” Tristan asked.
“Not at all. What is it?”
“Is Zoey in some kind of trouble?”
“Not that I’m aware of. We don’t see or hear from her much. She works a lot. What makes you think she’s in trouble?” Her father sounded wary, and with good reason. If Tristan started fishing around, asking questions, he’d blow her cover and put them all in danger.
“I don’t know. She seems nervous. Before I left the room earlier, she made me promise I’d take care of Hannah if something happened to you.”
Her dad grunted. “It can’t be easy seeing her best friend in a hospital bed.”
Enough.Lillian cleared her throat and coughed.
“She’s awake.”
Lillian stirred and opened her eyes to see two pairs gazing back at her, one set a worried brown, the other a suspicious blue. “How’s Hannah?”
“Talking and eating, both good signs,” Tristan said.
“You were supposed to wake me up, mister. I want to see her.”
“And now that you’re rested you can see her.”
She narrowed her gaze. “I don’t need your permission to visit my friend.”
His eyes glittered like the tanzanite in her favorite ring. “I never said you did.”
