Page 3 of My Accidental Valentine

“So, Sam, how’s the new job?” Amira asks, sitting down beside me.

“It’s good,” I say with a shrug. “A bit tough, but I’ll get the hang of it in a couple of weeks, I hope.”

“They made him sign an NDA, so he can’t talk about it,” Chara chimes in, giving me a pointed look.

“Wait, what’s your new job?” Tina asks, her brows furrowing. “Are you with the FBI or something?”

I laugh. “No, I’m a project manager. I can’t share much about my current project, but I promise it’s not as exciting as it sounds.”

“That’s exactly what an FBI agent would say,” Tina teases with a smirk.

I smirk back, but I’d much rather talk about Adam than my new job. Still, I can’t just bring him up out of nowhere, so I steer the conversation toward something adjacent. “Hey, where’s Sean?” I ask, turning to Chara.

“He couldn’t get the day off,” she says. “But he’ll be here tomorrow.”

“She’s secretly thrilled to have the whole bed to herself,” Tina teases, grinning.

“I’m not,” Chara snorts. “I hate sleeping alone. Sean’s basically my portable heater.”

Bringing up Adam now might seem a bit random, but it’s not a huge leap. I lean in slightly, lowering my voice after a quickglance toward the hallway. “By the way,” I ask, aiming to sound casual. “Do you know what Adam’s doing here?”

“He’s Pete’s bestie,” Tina says, picking up a napkin and attempting to fold it into a swan like mine. “What, do you have something against him?”

“No,” I say quickly—maybe too quickly. “I just haven’t seen him in, like, a while. That’s why I’m asking.”

“Oh, right,” Tina says, still fiddling with the napkin. “Yeah, I used to see him all the time when Pete lived with us, but not so much anymore. He’s a good guy, though.”

“He’s unreadable,” Amira whispers, glancing over her shoulder.

I nod, maybe a bit too eagerly. “I know, right? That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

But we don’t get to continue, because just then, Peter walks into the room with a bottle of non-alcoholic beer. We instantly fall silent, pretending to focus on the intricacies of napkin folding.

“Swan napkins!” Peter says enthusiastically as he approaches the table and hands me the bottle. “Nice!”

We spend the next half hour in the living room, catching up. Tina and Amira talk about their “millennial garden”—a windowsill packed with pots of mint, basil, rosemary, and thyme they’ve been nurturing. Chara shares stories from her trip to Denmark with Sean, laughing as she recounts how they accidentally ordered fermented fish sandwiches and tried to eat them with the awkward commitment of Mr. Bean tackling steak tartare.

The conversation eventually drifts to Peter’s new tattoo, a birthday gift to himself. When he rolls up his sleeve to show off the Ouroboros inked on his wrist, I silently pray no one steers the conversation toward Peter’s birthday. The last thing I need is Tina asking why I wasn’t there. The official excuse is that my mom’s birthday is on the same day, but my sister could easily blow that lie to pieces.

Before anyone has a chance to bring it up, I quickly change the subject. “Hey, Peter, can you give me the address of the bakery?” I ask, keeping my tone light.

“It’sThe Cinnamon Catin the town center,” Peter says, watching as I fold another swan. Then he adds casually, “Adam has the address.”

I blink, caught off guard. “Should I ask Adam for it?”

Peter shakes his head. “No. Adam’s going with you. He has a car.”

I freeze. “Sorry?” I manage, blinking like an idiot.

Then, from the doorway, I hear that calm, familiar voice. “I’m ready to go.”

I look up and see Adam standing there, car keys in hand.

Chapter 2. The Errand

As I pull my boots back on in the hallway, I feel like a lamb being led to slaughter. Because, of course, Adam must have come to Millie’s birthday just to confront me about whatever happened four years ago—about whatever it is that I did.

I want so badly to tell Peter I’ll take a cab and pick up the cake on my own, or even suggest that Adam handle it himself. But Adam doesn’t leave for a second. He stays right there until Peter finishes giving me the instructions, and before I know it, Adam and I are stepping out of the house together, walking toward his black SUV parked in the driveway.

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