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I clear my throat and pull away.
“Ah-ah.” She grips my chin as I often did to her, forcing me to meet her gaze. “For someone who says he wants me to live happily with a ‘healthy’ man, you were creeping around at the first hint that I was moving on.”
“I wanted to make sure he was a decent guy.”
“Yeah, right.” She rolls her eyes.
I arch a brow. “You were hoping I’d be jealous and show today. Isn’t that why you told me?”
“Did you know I was setting a trap?”
“Not at first.”
“What tipped you off?”
“You kept looking out the window. If you had a pair of binoculars, you probably would have been scanning the street through it. It didn’t take much to realize you were waiting for someone.”
She huffs. “Yeah, I can see how that would give it away.”
I laugh softly and rest my forehead against hers.
But Nardi’s still in a playful mood and teases me. “How are you so sure thatyouwere the one I was waiting for? Maybe I was just nervous and shy because I liked him.”
My grip tightens on her. “The guy couldn’t take his eyes off you, but you weren’t paying any attention to him. Besides, you were calling me every week, telling me how much you still love me. There’s no way he would have taken you away from me.”
She barrels back, aghast. “Don’t get too cocky. I love you, Cullen, but ‘pretending to be dead’ is crappy boyfriend behavior. You’re in the doghouse for the foreseeable future.”
I laugh at her annoyed expression. “I didn’t pretend.”
Nardi snorts, unimpressed by that excuse.
“I heard everything.” I touch her cheek, feeling immensely grateful for this moment. “The new building you rented with the commercial kitchen equipment. The day you decided you were returning to filming. The frustration you had with the low views. The day you figured out what meals the people online liked to watch. The day you laughed so hard you cried because of your new video editor.”
Her lips inch up. “You remember everything.”
“I do.” I wrap her in a hug. “I’m so, so proud of you, Nardi.”
She closes her eyes and sighs happily. “Thank you for coming back to me, Cullen. Even if it’s just for one day, I’ll treasure every moment I have with you.”
I kiss her and, in my heart, I solemnly vow to do the same.
Thirty-One
NARDI
THREE DAYS LATER
I roll over as a new day dawns. My hand extends to the other side of the mattress where Cullen should be.
I grab air instead of a person.
Panicked, my eyes fly open and I shoot to a sitting position.
“Cullen?” I yell. “Cullen?”
There’s no response.
I shrug into a robe and hurry to the adjoining suite. The penthouse holds a small kitchen, a fridge and a microwave. There’s a TV against the opposite wall, a coffee table, and a cream-colored sofa.