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“Hey there, stranger!” Andi called out, wrapping Carys into a warm hug.

It had been over two weeks since she’d seen Andi and…

two weeks that she’d been sleeping with…

or more appropriately, having sex, with Rafi.

She spent nearly every night in his arms and, every morning, Carys braced herself for the words, “It’s over.

” So far, that hadn’t happened and Carys was desperately trying to pretend that her feelings weren’t becoming involved.

Unfortunately, Rafi had flown off to London for a meeting two days ago. He’d told her the details, but as soon as she’d heard the words, “I have to go,” Carys’s heart had dropped. It was almost as if she needed to feel Rafi’s arms around her in order to function properly.

“Are you okay?” Andi asked, peering into Carys’s eyes. “You look…I don’t know.”

Carys hugged her best friend, closing her eyes as she fought back the threatening tears.

“I just missed you! I haven’t had anyone to talk with and tell the office gossip to.

” She pulled back. “I know that you have become an international traveler and I’m jealous, but you’ve been gone for too long.

We only had time for a coffee chat during your last break.

So, how are you doing?” This. This was what she needed.

Andi was so down to earth, so logical and sensible. And she was back!

Andi pulled away, but kept her hands on Carys’s shoulders. “I’m fine,” Andi announced, examining Carys more carefully. “Seriously, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Carys sighed, pulling back but keeping her mouth shut.

“Just busy at work, you know. With the new boss, he’s pretty…

demanding.” That last word caused her cheeks to burn, so she turned her head away as if looking for a table.

“Why don’t you grab that table over there and I’ll get our drinks? ”

“Sounds good.” Five minutes later, Carys sat down, sliding the tea over to Andi while she cradled her coffee in her hands.

“So, what’s been going on while I was in London?” Andi asked.

Carys hesitated. She wasn’t ready to tell Andi about Rafi. That was her secret and she felt too…raw…to speak about it. Plus, it was only temporary. Rafi would move on when she irritated him enough. He was getting close to that point already because she refused to stay the whole night.

So instead, she brought up the other issue that had been nagging at her lately. “I think someone’s been in my apartment.”

Andi’s hand froze and she stared at Carys over the rim of her paper cup. “Like…a burglar?”

Carys shook her head, trying to say the right words.

“No. Nothing is missing. But it just feels like someone has been in my place. I can’t say so for sure, and I’ve been so busy lately, that I could be wrong.

But it just feels like things have been moved around.

” She glanced at a couple strolling hand in hand, talking and laughing.

She turned away, focusing on her friend.

“This is going to sound really weird, but,” she hesitated, knowing that Andi was going to think Carys was a lunatic, “…everything is cleaner.” When Andi simply listened, Carys relaxed and continued.

“Then there was one day I came home from…work,” she filled in quickly, hoping that her friend hadn’t noticed the slight hesitation, “everything was cleaned up. Bed made, bathroom cleaned.” She paused, thinking back to other times.

“Then another time, I came home and there was a strange scent.”

“What kind of scent?” Andi asked, leaning forward. “Like a mildew?”

“No, a perfume or…I don’t know.” She sighed, tightening her grip around the coffee cup. “Maybe air freshener? I’ve never smelled it before, or since, so maybe it was just the maintenance guy coming in.”

Andi’s eyes narrowed and she tilted her head slightly. “Does he do that? Come in and clean stuff for you while you’re out?”

Carys bit her lip. “In the past, he’s always given me twenty-four hours warning when he’s needed to come in. And he’s always left me a note to let me know that he came through.”

“So, it wasn’t the maintenance guy,” Andi supposed, pursing her lips as she considered the issue. “You think it could be…?” She stopped, unwilling to say the man’s name. It was sort of like saying “Voldemort’s” name out loud.

Carys’s fingers tightened around her cup. “Yeah. I’ve been getting letters from him too.”

“Wait… what ?” Andi demanded, leaning in closer. “You never mentioned that!” She paused and Carys saw the hurt in her best friend’s eyes. But Andi moved on, focusing on the salient issue. “What did he say?”

Carys shrugged dismissively. “I only opened one letter from him and that was over a month ago.” She thought about that day.

It was the afternoon she’d actually met Rafi and the memory made her smile.

“I opened that one, read the first few lines.” She sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Apparently, he’s sad and wants to explain.

” She offered an inelegant snort. “There have been others but I won’t even open them anymore.

I just write ‘return to sender’ on the envelope and send them back.

” Her chin lifted, a defiant movement. “I want nothing to do with him.”

“I don’t blame you,” Andi replied, putting a gentle hand on Carys’s arm. “So…,” she paused, choosing her words carefully, “do you think your dad is breaking into your apartment?”

Carys sighed, her shoulders sagging as she stared into her coffee. “I don’t know.” She lifted her eyes. “Maybe it’s just my imagination.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“You need to get security cameras, Car,” Andi said, leaning forward and touching Carys’s hand. “They aren’t anywhere near as expensive now, and if someone is coming into your personal space, then you need to find out who.”

“You’re right,” Carys replied, then forced a smile. “Enough about my problems. What’s going on with you?”

Andi told her about working in Singapore and London and how exciting it was to finally get to travel.

They talked about their coworkers and the book club coming up.

Neither had had a chance to read the book yet, but they vowed to “get on that”.

There was a new restaurant opening near their office so they made plans to meet up with their friend group for dinner soon.

Otherwise, it was nice to sit and relax together.

However, the whole time, Carys wanted to share her excitement over her time with Rafi, but held back. Telling someone would make the whole thing feel more…real, somehow. And being real meant that it would end. As long as what she had with Rafi wasn’t real, it could go on indefinitely. Right?

Yeah, that rationale didn’t make much sense to her either, but she was too tired and overwhelmed to untangle her emotions.

So instead of telling her best friend about one of the most amazing men she’d ever met, Carys hugged Andi and returned to her cold, silent, oddly clean apartment all by herself, wondering what Rafi was doing.

Was he eating? Was he sipping some fabulous vintage of wine without her?

Or even worse, was he with another woman?

Carys dumped her purse on the floor and walked to the fridge, pulling down a bottle of the wine she’d bought at the grocery store over a month ago.

For several seconds, she stared at the label.

There wasn’t anything special about it. It had only cost her about twenty-five dollars and she’d enjoyed the same brand in the past. At the time, she’d thought that the wine was extraordinary.

She’d never spent twenty-five dollars on a single bottle of wine before, but she’d had a good day at work and had wanted to celebrate.

“He’s not going to ruin wine for me!” she muttered.

With an impatient huff, Carys opened the drawer, looking for the bottle opener, but she didn’t see the jumble of cooking utensils.

Instead, all she could see was Rafi’s face, relaxed in sleep when she’d left him last time.

Was Rafi with another woman? Was he smiling with this stranger and laughing?

Would he tease her about her hair falling over one eye like he did with her?

And would he then gently push it out of the way?

Like he did for her? With a gentle touch and a smile that made his eyes sparkle?

Was the other woman running her hands over his back? Would she appreciate all of the muscles there? Would she take the time to trace each one, trying to memorize the curves and the indentations because she knew that, eventually, she’d be replaced?

“Stop it!” Carys hissed, breaking the silence.

With a groan of frustration, she flipped through the spoons and spatulas, finding the wine opener.

She poured a generous portion into a glass.

Not a crystal glass. Just a regular wine glass that someone would get from a big-box store.

One that didn’t shimmer in the light like a real crystal would.

“You’re going to drive yourself nuts!” Carys lectured herself as she carried the glass of wine to the sofa. Grabbing the television remote, she turned it on. It had been a while since she’d watched television.

What would it be like to watch a movie with Rafi?

Would he let her snuggle up against his broad, muscular chest?

Or would he flip through messages on his phone during the movie, irritated with having to endure something so tedious?

Would he run his fingers through her hair?

Or would he fall asleep, bored with whatever movie they’d chosen?

Or was he doing that now? Was he snuggled up with another woman, watching a movie? He was gorgeous enough that he could walk into any bar or club and get any woman he fancied.