Page 33 of All This Time

He looks to my arm where I used to wear my glucose monitor. “Where’s the…”

“On my lower stomach now,” I say quietly, tapping the bulge underneath my tunic that conceals it.

He hums thoughtfully, which only confuses me more.

“Okay, Lucifer. Claudia is all ready for you,” Yvonne says as she approaches, interrupting this bizarre display of concern from Fletcher.

I’m thankful for the interruption because this exchange is just taking me back to so many conversations where I felt like he genuinely wanted to know about how I felt living with it, how my body didn’t work normally, and how I wondered if it would turn guys off to know that my glucose monitor would be a permanent fixture in my life.

Fletcher smiles as he spins to face her. “Awesome. I just want to make sure Laney eats something.”

I laugh, waving him off. “That’s really not necessary.”

His eyes meet mine again. “Where are your snacks?”

Yvonne clears her throat. “I’m sorry. Did I miss something?”

“Laney’s blood sugar is low, so she needs to eat,” Fletcher replies before I can speak for myself.

Yvonne smirks, crossing her arms over her chest. “I see. Well, boss, you heard the man. Let’s make sure you eat something.”

Rolling my eyes, I set my phone down at my station and then head to the break room to get myself a snack like the thirty-year-old woman that I am. I grab a banana, and when I turn around, I find Fletcher leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest as he watches me. I begin to peel the banana slowly and then take a bite outof it a tad too aggressively. “There. You happy?” I mumble around my mouthful of fruit.

His punchable face spreads into a grin. “Very.”

I chomp off another bite of the banana. “You know, I’m not the same teenager you knew as Rhonan’s annoying little sister, Fletcher. I’m a grown woman, so I can manage my own blood sugar just fine without you hovering.”

He drops his arms and crosses the room slowly, each of his strides eating up the space between us until he’s just a few inches from me, holding my gaze so intensely that I pause my chewing.

His eyes—deep pools of blue with flecks of green and gold—still hold the same allure for me that they did back when I would stare at them for hours. His lips—still full and kissable—are moving but I don’t hear a word they’re saying.

Because being this close to him is only making me remember what it felt like to be close to him back then—back when we were friends and this display of concern would make me feel cared for instead of insulted.

And for one split second, I deliriously wonder if we could ever get back to that place.

“Laney?” Fletcher reaches up and cups the side of my face, pulling me right back to reality with one spark of electricity.

“Huh?”

“Fuck, you weren’t even listening to me, were you?”

I blink and take a step back, but Fletcher just follows me, his hand still on my face. “I said, I know damn well that you’re a grown woman.” His eyes dip down to my lips and back up as his jaw tightens. “Believe me, I fucking noticed. But that’s not going to stop me from making sure you’re okay, especially when I’m around.”

My voice drops to a whisper. “You—you haven’t been around in a long time, Fletcher.”

“But I’m here now.” His eyes dip down to my lips again, lingering there.

“Oh, Lucifer?” Claudia singsongs as she walks into the break room, catching us in this compromising position.

Fletcher mumbles something under his breath, drops his hand from my face, and spins to face her. “Yeah?”

“I’m ready for you,” she says, gaze flicking between us like she’s trying to piece together what she just walked into.

He nods. “Great. I’ll be right there.”

Claudia’s eyes meet mine, but I turn away quickly, trying to get a handle on my blood pressure.

What the hell is going on?