Page 57 of Interference

I swallowed again and whispered, “Thank you. For everything.”

“You’re welcome.” He smiled and shifted into Reverse. “Should we go grab a late lunch?”

“Sure. Yeah. Sounds good.” I pulled on my seat belt. “I, um… I do have a little bit of money in my account. Let me at least buy lunch.”

He glanced at me, brow furrowed. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Long as we don’t go to some bougie-ass place that’s eighty bucks a head.”

Anthony laughed, which only made that attraction burn hotter. “Nah, There’s a café near here that I really like that doesn’t charge an—” His teeth snapped shut and his cheeks colored. “It’s, um, not very expensive. Especially by Eastside standards.”

“Sounds good to me.” I grinned. “I’m assuming they don’t charge an arm and a leg?”

He shot me a cautious glance. When I laughed, he did too, and his blush deepened. “Sorry. I kind of didn’t think before I spoke. Well, almost.”

“Eh, it’s okay. One of my Army buddies made that joke all the time, and he was a double amputee. Arm and leg.”

“Really? So it doesn’t bother you?”

“Me, no. I wouldn’t recommend making the same crack to another amputee unless you know them well, but I spent too long in the Army to not have a dark and twisted sense of humor.”

“Okay, fair.” He chuckled. “You’ll get along with my teammates tomorrow, then.”

“Yeah?”

He nodded. “Oh, yeah. They all have a twisted sense of humor. Not necessarily dark, but definitely twisted.”

“Sounds like fun. I can’t wait!”

He shot me a beautiful smile, and we headed out of the parking lot.

As Anthony drove and we shot the shit, the gift cards I’d slipped into my pocket may as well have been a cinderblock. I was unavoidably aware of them. Of the money this man had given me to make sure my dog and I still had what we needed to survive out there, even if thieves or cops ran off with our stuff again.

He didn’t have to. He’d been under no obligation to me from the moment we’d met in the clinic. But he’d bent over backwards for Lily and me, and I was grateful beyond words.

I wasn’t looking forward to being back out on the street. It was hell, and there was nothing that could change that.

But thanks to Anthony, I was a little more certain we could weather it.

Chapter 15

Anthony

The whole time Wyatt and I had been wandering the sporting goods store, I’d expected reality to come bitch slap me in the face. I hadn’t forgotten about my split from Simon. Not at all. I just… still didn’t feel anything. I figured that any minute now, all my emotions would come crashing in, and I’d have no choice but to process the fact that my three-year relationship was over. After all that fighting and stressing and doing everything I could to save us, there was suddenly nothing left to save anymore. It was all gone.

Simon was no longer my boyfriend.

So why didn’t I feel anything?

I was halfway to the café with Wyatt when I realized I did feel something:

Relief.

Ever since Simon had blindsided me, I’d been anticipating a crushing barrage of emotions. I thought it would feel like when my team had fought tooth and nail to stay alive in a critical playoff game, and the buzzer sounded, letting us know that our season was over.

Instead, what I felt now was this quiet, peaceful sense of relief. Nothing earth-shattering. Nothing as dramatic as it should’ve been following a breakup like this. Just… the gentle, spreading relaxation as if I’d released a breath I’d been holding for too long. I should’ve been tied up in knots today, grieving the end of my relationship and worrying about going forward. About the only thing that registered in that department, though, was worrying about if and when we’d sell the house. Simon and I would have to figure out those logistics later.

Today? Meh. Whatever.

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