Page 81 of Juliet's Echo

I pressed the intercom but said nothing.

“Juliet,” his voice echoed through the speaker. “I know your selective-hearing ass sees these lights flashing, and from this poorly hidden security camera, you know it's me. Echo already told me you were inside.”

A smile appeared despite my best efforts.

“Open the door, please,” he begged.

Still pretending to be angry, I unlocked the door and pulled it open.

“Can I come in?” he asked.

Stepping aside, I physically gave him permission to enter.

The moment he crossed the threshold, he signed, “Lucky, I'm sorry.”

Then he handed me the flowers.

I snatched them, putting more dramatic flare in the situation as the front door closed hard behind us.

Still pretending.

Truthfully, him signing would make me fold like a cheap lawn chair every single time. The man was learning an entirely new language just to communicate with me, just like everyone else who loved me.

Rolling my eyes to hide my smile, I turned and headed upstairs.

Psalm followed close behind.

Once inside my room, I folded my arms and glared.

Psalm sighed.

“I didn’t mean it the way it sounded, Lucky.”

I said nothing.

“I was wrong for inserting the slide without letting you know. I thought it was a last-minute improvement, but I was wrong.”

My glare softened slightly.

“Yes, sometimes nepotism gave women access to certain positions, but only because sexism would’ve denied them otherwise. Qualified women deserve those positions.”

“With equal pay?” I asked, my voice full of sass.

He rubbed the back of his head.

“Can we save that for the next debate assignment, mama?”

No longer able to hold my composure, a laugh slipped out, and the sound immediately made him smile.

“I miss you,” he signed.

My traitorous heart melted instantly.

“I miss you too,” I signed back.

That perfect smile of his grew wider, and then he signed my favorite phrase he’d learned so far, “Give me a kiss, Lucky.”

Without thinking, the flowers landed on my dresser, and the distance between us disappeared.