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“Are you crying?!” I gasped, reaching up to press the pad of my finger into the corner of Lukas’s eye.
“No,” he protested, lightly batting my hand away. “Well, yes, but because you made me laugh. Not because of this.”
I never did find out if Lukas was telling the truth. I didn’t know him to be someone who cried over food, but Bianca’s gelato was that good.
“If it isn’t my two favorite customers,” Bianca said, hugging us both quickly.
“I bet you say that to everyone,” I said, smiling brightly.
Bianca laughed and rounded the counter again. “Only a handful, I promise. What brings you in today?”
“Took my fiancée on a date,” Lukas explained, pressing close.
For the love of Zeus, I needed to control my heart rate.
Bianca beamed at us. “Then, I’m honored to help finish your night on a high note.” After a weighty pause and a waggle of her eyebrows, “Or rather, finish your nightout.”
I blushed to my hairline, my jaw going slack. That’s certainly what I was thinking—or rather, hoping—or just—
Clearly, my mind was a mess besides the flashing sign that saidfuck Lukason it.
Lukas laughed and I felt the vibration in between my shoulder blades. “A man can only hope.”
I pressed my hands to the glass just to soak in the cold. Was Lukas just being charming or did he mean that?
“Tell me you meant that.”
I mentally smacked the memory away. Not.Now.
“What do you want, baby?” Lukas asked, right next to my ear.You, I thought on instinct.
I turned to look at him, our cheeks almost scraping. “Vanilla. Please.”
Lukas grinned, then pulled away. “It’s the same every time.”
“I like what I like.”
“I wasn’t complaining. I like knowing what you like.” Lukas winked at me then turned to Bianca, missing my jaw drop to the fucking floor. “I’ll take fior-di-latte, please.”
“Right up,” Bianca said, before her eyes darted to me and she laughed at my expression.
Bianca and Lukas made small talk as she piled our gelato into warm cones, and I jumped in where I could. I was too busy trying to regain my composure and moving my hands into different spots on the glass hoping a new spot would finally cool my fevered skin.
Bianca handed us our cones, forcing me to lift my hand. Before either of us could even open our mouths, she said, “No paying unless it goes in the tip jar for my staff.”
“Thank you,” I said, hoping she understood how earnestly I appreciated her. Bianca smiled back, with an all too knowing look behind her eyes.
Another person who knew how fucking deep I was in with Lukas.
Lukas dropped enough coin to pay her rent for a month into the metal jar on top of the counter. “A pleasure as always, Bianca.”
“Come back soon, you two,” Bianca said. “As newlyweds this time.”
Lukas laughed again. “Oh, we will if I have anything to say about it.”
And at that very moment, stepping out into the warm October air, with gelato in my hand and Lukas at my back, I decided that I was done being stupid.
I was done letting one overheard conversation keep me stagnant. Maybe Lukas wanted out and what he'd said to Zale was how he really felt. Maybe I'd given him the separation he wanted.
