Page 21 of A Change of Heart

Seren nodded, then laughed as she yawned again. “Do you mind if I go back to the flat? I need to go to bed.”

“We can all go,” Kit said.

“No.” She stood and pulled her bag on her shoulder. “You two stay and hang out. I just need the spare key.”

Kit handed it to her. “Are you sure you don’t want us to come back with you?”

“Definite. Stay and have fun.”

They called goodnight to her as she left, and Kit’s eyes stayed on her until she’d disappeared outside.

“How are things between you two?” Trystan asked.

“Same as always.” He took a swig of his beer. “Except I kept having to remind myself that it wasn’t a date today. It kind of felt like it.”

“That’s good.”

“I’m not so sure. I can’t imagine anything will ever happen between us. I just don’t think she sees me that way.”

“Did you ever think about telling her how you feel?”

“Yeah. I think about it a lot. I guess it would be good to know once and for all that I have no chance. Maybe I could move on. But at the same time, living in hope isn’t so bad.”

“You seem to be forgetting the possibility that she might feel the same.”

“Because it doesn’t feel like a possibility to me.”

“Of course it’s a possibility. And there’s a chance that knowing how you feel about her will change how she sees you.”

Kit rubbed at his temple. “I think the most likely outcome to me telling her how I feel is an incredibly uncomfortable atmosphere between us for the rest of time.”

“Slightly dramatic,” Trystan said, shifting in his seat.

“Maybe,” he said on a sigh. “Let’s talk about something else. Tell me about work or something.”

They spent an hour chatting about more neutral topics before they were interrupted by Trystan’s phone.

“It’s Jenny,” he said, frowning as he accepted the call and moved the phone to his ear.

Kit watched Trystan’s features to try and gauge the nature of the conversation, but he couldn’t read him. After a short conversation which involved him agreeing to whatever she was saying, he ended the call and set the phone on the table.

“You don’t mind me ditching you again tomorrow, do you?” Trystan asked.

“I hope this isn’t another ploy to leave me and Seren alone, because I think that’s unnecessary.”

“No. Jenny wants to meet for lunch. She wants us to talk in person.”

“Is that a good thing or bad?”

He rubbed at his neck. “I guess I’ll find out tomorrow.”

After finishing their drinks, they wandered back to the flat and crept through the living room where Seren was fast asleep.

“She sleeps very loudly,” Trystan remarked as he poured himself a glass of water to the sound of Seren’s gentle snores.

“It’s not so bad.” Kit ignored the look of amusement Trystan shot him and headed to the bathroom. When he came out, he walked softly to his side of the bed, trying not to stare at Seren with her silky hair fanned out on the pillow. Slipping under the covers, he smiled at the rhythmic sound of her snoring.

One of these days he was going to have to tell her how he felt. Maybe it would give him closure and he could move on.