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“He’s coming this way,” she confirms.
“Oh, no. No. No.” I look around wildly. “I think I’m going to leave.” I begin to rise.
“Thought you wanted to talk to him and ask him why he asked you to leave abruptly.”
“I did.” I sink down. Not a coward. I’m not a coward. “It just seems better as a concept than when I’ve really been given an opportunity to do so,” I confess.
Chin up. Man up. Or woman up. You can do this. What are the chances he ends up at the same coffee shop as me, huh? But he’s here. So am I. Guess this is my chance to find out how it feels to talk to him face-to-face.
I’m expecting him, but it’s still a physical shock to my system when he steps up to stand at our table. “Priscilla, what a surprise.”
21
Tyler
She looks incredible. When I saw her, I couldn’t believe my eyes. But there was no doubt, it was her. The sunlight slanting through the windows of the coffee shop lit up her auburn hair, throwing a glow around her. I recognized the slope of her shoulders, saw her face in profile, felt that familiar pull, and knew, without a doubt, I had to go over and speak with her.
“Tyler.” Her voice is calm, steady. “Fancy seeing you here.”
“Ah… I live close by.”
She blinks. “You moved?”
“Wanted to be close to my brothers and friends who already lived in Primrose Hill. And this way, Serene has more space both in and out of the house.”
A soft expression crosses her face. “How is Serene? You didn’t have her at the lunch, either.” She firms her lips.
That lunch. That bloody lunch which is seared into my brain, when I found out she was getting engaged to my brother. I swallow down the questions I have aroundthatfiasco.
The old Tyler, the one I was before Serene came into my life, would have confronted Priscilla, demanding to know why she’d gone through that charade with Knox. But the new me, the one who’s a father, the one who’s more measured in his decision-making, disciplines his reaction. “She’s with Summer.”
“Summer?” A flicker of something crosses her eyes.
“My friend, Sinclair’s wife? They have a son, Matty, who Serene has taken to. I often drop Serene with them when I have to head out for a meeting.”
“A meeting?” She looks me up and down. “You mean, a date?”
Zoey—who I recognize as Skylar’s friend—clears her throat. “Uh, I guess I should be leaving.”
“Zoey. I'm sorry, that was impolite of me. Lovely to see you here. Hope you’re well.”
Zoey rises to her feet and pats my arm. “I’m good. Lovely to see you, too. But I need to be on my way. I’m…late for a meeting with one of my authors.” She smiles at both of us, then indicates to Priscilla that she should call her. “Bye, Cilla. Bye, Tyler.” She grabs her bag and leaves.
For a few seconds, I stay standing, while Priscilla stares down at the half-eaten cake in front of her.
“The pastries here are good,” I venture, then curse myself.That the best you can come up with, asshole?
She stays quiet.
“Innovative names, too. Though I don’t understand half of them.” I nod my head like a fucking twerp. Jesus, why am I so nervous?Because you like this woman. And you told her to leave, like a coward, without explaining yourself completely. And you haven’t called her since to tell her you were thinking of her. You’re a dumbass!
“If you don’t understand the names, how do you know they’re innovative?” she asks in a wooden voice.
At least she’s speaking to me. That’s a start. “They’re not names I’ve seen before. And the shop seems to be doing well, so?—”
“Booktok.” She finally raises those gorgeous brown eyes to mine. “The names of the desserts are inspired by spicy books.”
“Spicy books?”