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“Supplies,” I say absently. “Do you think I need to refrigerate this bread?”
“Supplies?” She pushes off the couch.
“Stay there.”
“You don’t need to refrigerate bread.”
“Hmm. Okay.” I look at the labels on the medicine. “You can’t take these together, you know. They both have painkillers in them. I wasn’t sure what you wanted. One is non-drowsy.”
“What are you doing here?” she asks tiredly.
I set the medicine on the counter and walk the five steps it takes to the tiny couch. “I’m apologizing. For Friday.”
She squeezes her eyes shut. “Please don’t,” she whispers. “Please don’t say you regret it. Let’s just move on, okay?” When she opens her eyes, they’re pleading.
“Honestly? I came to yell at you.” I laugh softly. “I thought you were mad at me, and then I convinced myself you were ashamed and totally unaffected by it.” I try for a smile and she stares at me like I’ve gone insane. “I really worked myself up. And then I found you here. All—pitiful.” I wave my hand in her direction. “And the wind went out of my sails. It’s very annoying, actually.”
“I’m sorry to disappoint.” Her mouth curves up at the side. “I thought about it, and you’re right.”
Hope is a balloon in my chest. Idiot. You’re the one who stopped it. The balloon deflates. “You agree with me?”
“Yeah.” She nods, looking a little embarrassed. “I overreacted. I’ve never been a casual hook-up kind of girl. I cried after sex once. From all the emotions.” She pulls a face. “I don’t know why I just told you that. Anyways, you’re right. You’re my boss, and we have enough difficulty being in the same room together without all that.” She waves a hand. “So I agree. You did the right thing by saying it can’t happen again.”
“I did?” I clear my throat. “I did. Okay.” Ally or enemy? I need to decide. If I extend this olive branch to her, there’s no going back. I’m not dangling her in front of Dylan, I’m not using her for revenge. She’s just Callie for five more months, and I’m just me. “Truce?” I say, before I can question it.
“Okay.” She smiles, looking so unbearably pretty that I nearly lurch forward. “I’d like that. Truce.” She stands shakily, and I steady her with a hand under her elbow. “I need to take a nap now. Make yourself at home.”
With that, she disappears down the hall, and I’m left stunned in the living room.
“Hello. I thought I heard voices.”
I turn to see her father shuffle into the living room. “Ah, Jonah Crown. Good to see you.” He’s wearing a faded ball cap and a flannel shirt.
My brows go up. He’s not going to question my presence in his apartment at nine a.m.? Weird. “And you. I was just checking on Callie since she didn’t show up this morning. I didn’t realize she was sick.”
“She’s not feeling well?” He frowns. “She didn’t say that. I assumed she was off today or something.” He shakes his head. “Typical Callie.” His voice drops lower. “She thinks I’m too old to worry.”
I’m silent. I don’t know what to say. I barely know Callie. We don’t even really like each other. So I nod and shove my hands into my pockets.
“Coffee?” Her dad raises the pot in the air. “I’m supposed to be drinking decaf after the heart attack, but I’ve been putting a little regular in the pot. Don’t tell my daughter.” He winks.
“Sure.” My phone buzzes in my pocket. I’m supposed to be at a ten-thirty meeting with Miles. He’s probably annoyed that I won’t be there. “You had a heart attack?” I ask.
“Over the summer.” He busies himself preparing two cups.
“Milk?”
I nod.
“Good thing Callie was here. She’s the one who forced me to go to the hospital.”
The ache is back, a lump behind my ribs that I can’t shake. I take the coffee and say, “I’m sorry to hear that.”
He waves a hand and takes a hearty gulp of coffee. “It’s part of getting older. I’m not worried about it.” But Callie is. She’s worried and she’s just trying to take care of her father. “So, Jonah, how’s it going with Callie?”
Does he know about my plans? How much did she tell him? Shame makes my stomach turn. “It’s going well. She’s very smart.” What every parent wants to hear, right? Maybe he doesn’t know anything.
“She is. Headstrong, but very smart.” He sighs. “She’s the one who started the paparazzi thing a few years back, even though she hates it. It pays our rent now, if you can believe it.” He shakes his head. “I never thought people would pay so much for photos.”
