Page 35 of Control

After picking out a few flavors to try, Alana and I grabbed a table by the window and sat down to enjoy them together.

She took one bite, and my eyes were fixated on her. I noted the way she took the time to savor that single bite and how her eyes widened with delight at the taste. Of course, I felt myself grow a bit feverish when she licked a stray crumb off her lip.

“This one is delicious. Here, you have to try it,” she said, holding her cookie out to me.

I didn’t hesitate to take a bite while she held the cookie. My eyes remained on hers, my heart beating a little faster. “Oh, that is good. The perfect cookie to celebrate with, I think.”

Alana took another bite, chewed, and swallowed before she said, “The cookie is great. I’m sure the rest of the flavors will be just as wonderful. But, in my opinion, the thing that makes this so great is the company. It’s way better than any cookie could ever be.”

My body tensed. I hadn’t expected her to be so forward. Maybe there wasn’t anything deeper behind it—perhaps she merely enjoyed having someone to spend some time with—but I couldn’t lie and pretend it didn’t make something stir inside my chest.

The feeling that came over me was so immense, I didn’t trust myself to speak. I’d gone from having a woman in my life push me away and lie to me, so she could spend time with another man to having this. To having a woman who wasn’t even my girlfriend seemingly enjoying spending time with me. It felt really good.

“It’s all thanks to you, you know?”

With raised eyebrows, I asked, “What’s all thanks to me?”

“That I’m in a place where I can celebrate,” Alana shared. “I can’t tell you how low I was feeling after I learned that Iwasn’t going to be able to cover this story. Between that, the foot injury, totaling my car, and having someone wanting to cause me physical harm, I don’t think I was in a very good place. I think if I hadn’t met you, I’d be in a different place today. I don’t think I’d have the confidence to continue pushing for answers, to continue doing what I love. I’m so glad I met you, Ty, and I hope that even after this whole thing is over, you and I can remain friends.”

I wondered if Alana had the ability to read minds. Did she know I’d been thinking about what would happen between us after this was over? Did she feel any of the same fear about not having me in her life the way I felt about not having her in my life once she uncovered the truth about who killed Annie?

Unable to stop myself, I placed one hand over hers on the table and squeezed. “I don’t think I wound up on that sidewalk by accident that day. It would be a shame if you got to the bottom of this story, and I never got to see you again. I’d love nothing more than for us to keep in touch.”

She beamed at me. “That makes me happy.”

I smiled back at her and said, “I’m glad. But do you know what else might make you happy?”

“No. What?”

Holding one up between us with my other hand, I said, “Another cookie. How about a taste of an almond shortbread one this time?”

She licked her lips. “Sounds amazing.”

I held the cookie up to her mouth, my hand that was still covering hers squeezing ever-so-slightly as her lips parted and she bit down on it. A stray piece broke off and fell on her lap, both of us falling into a fit of laughter, and I had an inkling it was both of us feeling giddy with excitement and not the fact that she tried to catch the cookie as it fell.

A moment later, the good vibes I’d been feeling with her nearly flew out the window. Because I glanced outside and saw someone standing there, looking at us through the glass.

Evangeline.

I didn’t know what it looked like from where she stood, but if it was even half of what I felt being with Alana, I had to guess she got a taste of what it had been like for me to see her with a man in her apartment.

The only difference was, Evangeline and I weren’t together now.

And seeing her there did nothing for me.

In fact, as quickly as I saw her, I looked away, focused my attention on Alana, and smiled at her. “What do you think about that one?”

“Apparently, the crunchy ones might be too messy for me. But it was beyond delicious. I’m not sure if I like that one or the chocolate chip one better. You should take a bite.”

I popped the remaining half of the cookie into my mouth and said, “It’s good. I’m partial to the first one.”

“Yeah? Why’s that?”

Grinning at her, I said, “Because you fed it to me.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, Ty. What am I going to do with you?”

Anything you want,I thought.

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