Page 106 of Come Back to Me

“I can feel you judging me over there,” he says.

“How? I didn’t say anything.”

“That’s the thing. You don’t have to say anything for me to understand what you’re thinking.” He focuses on me instead of his computer.

“Well, you of all people should know that I would never judge you. I never have, and I never will.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean for what I said to come across that way.”

My face softens. “You don’t have to apologize.”

“Let me see if I remember this right. I know how much you loved Coastal Shores’ cheeseburger. You got it almost every time we went there, but no onion because you don’t like that it makes your breath stinky. You always got the mayo on the side, so you could put on as much as you wanted. I know Stingray’s has a cheeseburger similar to theirs.”

Wow! How does he still remember that?

I know it has been several years since we last saw each other, so I’m amazed that he remembers how much I love the cheeseburgers at Coastal Shores. I’m more impressed by the tiny details, like how I don’t like onions and how I like putting my sauces on the side.

I gulp. “How do you remember something so unimportant like that?”

“Nothing is unimportant to me when it comes to you.”

Where did that come from?

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“I-it’s okay,” I stutter.

That’s all I can manage to get out. I mean, how do I respond to something like that?

“I’m going to put the order through now.”

“I can pay you back for mine.”

“That’s not necessary,” he insists.

I knew you were going to say something like that.

If I had the energy, I’d go back and forth with him about it, but I don’t feel like arguing with him about something so insignificant.

When we were dating, Grayson loved paying for our meals when we’d go out to eat. It was a sweet gesture, and he spoiled the hell out of me. I was so grateful that someone wanted to dothat for me because I wasn’t the kind of person who experienced being treated by a loved one the right way.

“Well, thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure. The food should be here in fifteen to twenty minutes. I told them to drop it in front of the door.”

“Cool. So…what time do you want to see your mom tomorrow?”

“The shelter is open to visitors from noon to 5 p.m., so we’ll have enough time to see her. I’m thinking somewhere between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. It gives us both time to eat breakfast. Plus, the drive from here to Sunset Cove is thirty minutes, sometimes longer depending on traffic.”

“Okay, then you can take me back home, so I can eat some lunch.”

“Actually, I was thinking we could go somewhere to eat afterwards. I mean, if you want to. We don’t have to.”

This isn’t a good idea. You’re getting too attached to him. Say no.

“Sure, why not?”

You’re going to regret that later.