Page 24 of Click of Fate

LUKE

Leaning against the front desk,I watch Stella pack up her gear. I can’t believe that, after three weeks of assuming she was long gone, she’s here.

In my gym.

The past hour or so has been the best hour I’ve had since our night together, and she was sassy and a tad bossy for most of it.

Right now, though? Right now she’s ignoring me and very professionally avoiding my gaze. Which is adorable.

I know I’ve only got mere minutes left with her.

“Admit it, you missed me,” I say.

She doesn’t look up. "I don’t miss people I sleep with once and then don’t think about again."

Grinning, I clutch my chest. "Ouch. Brutal. But I’m calling your bluff—you’ve definitely thought about me."

Snapping her camera bag shut, she rolls her eyes. "If it helps you sleep at night, sure."

"It does, actually. Right after I replay your little exit strategy in my head." I smirk, knowing I’m playing with fire.

Finally looking up, she says, "You're impossible."

I shrug. "And yet… here you are."

I hear a dramatic sigh and realize that we’ve had an audience. Ruth—the woman who came in with Stella’s niece—watches us unabashedly. I swear, if the woman had popcorn, she’d look like she was watching her new favorite soap opera.

Stella doesn’t look embarrassed that our conversation was just overheard by this woman she is obliviously familiar with. She just looks annoyed.

“What, Ruth?” she asks.

“He’s a climber. You’re a runner. Maybe you just need someone who doesn’t let go,” she tells her matter-of-factly.

And there’s that glare she’s perfected, only it’s directed at someone other than me.

“Are you serious right now?”

Ruth takes a causal sip of whatever is in her cup, completely unbothered.

“Just making an observation, dear,” she says innocently.

Interesting.

Lilly, whose been completely focused on the informational video she needed to watch before the class starts, is suddenly beside me.

“Mommy said something about Aunt Stelly needing to plant something,” she chimes in curiously.

All three adults look down at her—and damn, she’s cute.

Frowning now, she adds, “I don’t think she meant flowers, causes she’s bad with those.”

Grinning at the tiny human, I look up at Stella, and if she could melt into the floor right now, I think she would.

“Interesting choice of wording, huh?” I chuckle. I’m guessing her sister was talking about roots. This whole conversation with Ruth and Lilly has been so enlightening.

“We’re done here,” Stella says, slinging her camera bag over her shoulder. She leans down and hugs Lilly, telling her to have fun climbing.

She tells Ruth goodbye and starts to make her exit. I know I have a class to teach, its starts in a few minutes, but I’m determined to keep her in my orbit. I’m not ready for this to be our last conversation, so I follow her toward the exit.

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