Page 108 of Come Back to Me

“Let me get a napkin.”

Before he can say anything else, I grab one from the napkin holder across from me and gently dab away the sauce on his face.

My attempt to keep my eyes away from meeting his turns into an epic fail. I realize doing this was a bad idea, but I’m realizing it way too late. A lump travels down my throat out of sheer nervousness that’s coursing its way throughout my body.

He stares at every crevice of my face, and I can’t help but freeze in place.

Blinking my eyes rapidly and shaking my head a little, I break Grayson’s spell. “All gone.”

I need to get the hell out of here.

Awkward silence and chewing immediately consume the room. We don’t talk to each other for the remainder of dinner because neither of us knows how to start a conversation because of what I did a bit earlier.

After we finish dinner, Grayson takes our empty containers and places them into the sink.

I get up from my chair and grab my purse from the sofa. “Hey, I think I’m going to head out.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, it’s getting late.” I head for the front door, but he stops me by reaching for my hand before I can twist the handle.

“Thanks for cleaning the barbecue sauce off my face.”

“Anytime.” I clear my throat. “I’m sorry if that made things weird between us.”

“Don’t sweat it.” He lets go of my hand in the way that male characters in rom-coms let go of their love interests’ hands: in slow motion, almost as if life is being put on pause for a short amount of time.

“I’ll see you tomorrow between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. then,” I say.

“Mm-hm. I’ll pick you up at your place.”

“Okay. Will you?—”

He cuts me off. “Yes, I’ll call you or text you when I’m on my way. Same thing applies for when I get there.”

“How did you know I was going to ask you that?”

“I know you very well, Angel.”

You know me better than anybody else does.

“Apparently so. Good night, Gray.”

“Good night, Vi.”

Twisting the doorknob, I walk out of his apartment with my purse slung over my shoulder. I speed down the stairs to get to my car. When I get inside, I stare out the windshield.

What was I thinking when I wiped off sauce from Grayson’s face? I can’t believe I did that. Friends don’t do that. Girlfriends do, and I’m not his girlfriend. I haven’t been his girlfriend for six years.

Starting the car, I shift the gear into reverse and back out of the parking spot I’m in. I can’t wait to crawl into bed and pretend that moment between Grayson andI didn’t happen.

I pull into my usual parking spot in front of our apartment building.

I made a promise to Grayson that I wouldn’t vanish from his life again, and I’m regretting it. I’m getting too close to him, which isn’t good for either of us. I won’t leave him though because I couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. And I know that doing so would destroy him. It would destroy us or the possibility of there being anusagain.

Turning the engine off, I make my way out of my car and upstairs to the apartment. I twist the doorknob to see if the door is unlocked, and it is.

I stare at Sage who’s sitting on the chair closest to the lamp next to the TV. “Do you realize anybody could come in here since the door is completely unlocked?”