Page 141 of The Plus One Contract

“Long,” I say, setting my notes down. I take the coffee from her, grateful for the jolt of energy. “Thanks.”

She tilts her head, eyes sharp. “You spent the entire time thinking about him, didn’t you?”

I stiffen at her bluntness. “Harper, believe it or not, I have other things on my mind besides Nathan Calloway.” I try for a casual shrug, feigning indifference.

She snorts. “Yeah? Name three.”

Unfortunately, I don’t have a response.

Without a word, she pulls out her phone, swipes a few times, and shoves the screen in my face.

“Read this,” she demands.

I frown, leaning back slightly. “Jesus, Harper. Personal space.”

“Just read it.”

With a sigh, I take the phone from her, my gaze scanning the bold black headline.

BLACKWOOD & CALLOWAY HOLDINGS MOVES HEADQUARTERS TO NEW YORK.

Blackwood & Calloway Holdings has announced that its headquarters will be permanently moving to New York. The business mogul already has offices in New York, Chicago, and California, but moving the headquarters will allow New York to oversee global strategy, international investments, and high-profile acquisitions, while Chicago will remain the company’s financial hub, and California will remain the headquarters for tech innovations and expansion.

I read faster.

Then I see it.

Nathan Calloway himself will oversee the New York office, while his business partner, Julian Blackwood, will continue to run operations in California.

The words blur as my fingers tighten around Harper’s phone. “When was this announced?”

“Yesterday,” she says. “Figured you already knew.”

I shake my head, speechless.

He never told me.

Not a call. Not a text.

Nothing.

The man who kissed me like he’d rather die than let me go has been in the city this whole time.

And I didn’t even know.

I force my fingers to unclench, handing Harper’s phone back to her.

“It doesn’t change anything,” I say, my voice surprisingly steady.

She snorts. “Right, because the fact that the man you’ve been moping over since you came home is living in the same city now is totally irrelevant.”

“He always lived here,” I remind her. “He’s just neverherehere. And I’m not moping.”

“You’re moping.”

“I’ve been busy,” I argue, taking another drink of my coffee.

“You’ve been avoiding thinking about him.”

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