Page 95 of It Starts With A No

He frowned.

“Sorry.” She flashed a sheepish smile.

“So you’re still choosing him.”

“It isn’t a competition.”

“Sure.”

It wasn’t a competition because she’d already made her choice. I choose him. Seth wasn’t expecting her to take sides then, but right from the start, she’d made it clear whose side she was on.

Clary took a large gulp of water. “Can we just forget about that?”

He could, but the line remained, didn’t it?

Perhaps Clary was right about the complications.

“Sure.” Seth put the glass into the sink. “Are you ready to go?”

* * *

“Running late again?” Tamara said as Clary strode toward her.

Her assistant could simply be joking, but Clary wasn’t in the mood to deal with it right now.

The drive to her office had been icy. Seth didn’t say a word to her, and she didn’t try to speak to him.

Because she didn’t know what to say.

She knew what Seth wanted to hear, but she’d already given her word to Mr. E.

It had never been this tough to keep her word. She understood why Mr. E didn’t want her to confront Seth. He was probably wary about Seth, but his primary concern would be her safety.

On the flip side, she also understood why Seth thought she was choosing Mr. E.

She’d told him so herself.

But she’d thought things would be different. She’d thought last night had changed things.

Perhaps she was too naïve.

They might have crossed the line, but it was still very much there.

It would always be there.

“Is that mine?” Clary pointed at the brown bag sitting on the corner of Tamara’s desk.

“Yeah.”

“Thanks.” She took the bag and strode toward her office just as the phone on Tamara’s desk rang.

“Miss Clary Fiore’s office, this is her assistant speaking.”

Clary entered the code on the digital lock.

“Detective Andrea Lowe?”

She paused and looked back at Tamara.

---