Page 28 of Beautiful Broken Love

From: Davina Klein-Roberts

To: Deke Bishop

1:28 a.m.

Well, your reasoning about the email vs DM thing seems solid. I’ll allow it. As for Tish—yeah, I think you should be a little afraid. She’s going to make you repay that debt somehow.

Glad you had a safe flight.

Davina

From: Deke Bishop

To: Davina Klein-Roberts

1:38 a.m.

Oh, so I was on trial, huh? Damn. Glad I wasn’t found guilty lmao. What are you doing up so late? Thought you’d be sleeping ...

From: Davina Klein-Roberts

To: Deke Bishop

1:46 a.m.

I can’t sleep much anymore. I doze off for a bit, but always wake up around 3 or 4 am. My sleep schedule is shit, I know. I was prescribed something from my doctor to help months ago but it makes me feel like I’ve been hit by a truck when I wake up so I don’t take it.

And yes, you were on trial. Too many people in this world pretending to be something they’re not.

From: Deke Bishop

To: Davina Klein-Roberts

1:53 a.m.

Well that’s the good thing about knowing you. I don’t have to pretend to be anything but myself when we talk. Glad I’ll be able to make it to your rebranding party. It’ll be nice seeing you again and making sure you’re OK.

From: Davina Klein-Roberts

To: Deke Bishop

2:00 a.m.

Ah, yes. The rebranding party. Everyone will be excited to see you. Going to try and sleep now. Goodnight, Bishop.

FIFTEEN

DEKE

I shut the screen of my phone off and placed it on the nightstand. The neon clock on the wall read 2:03 a.m., but I wasn’t sleepy. All I could think about was Davina.

After that last email she sent, though, it was pretty clear she wanted to be left alone. I thought we were having a moment, but I went and fucked it up, just like I always did.

I mean, she brought her assistant into it with no laughs, no smiley faces—nothing. Then again, Davina didn’t strike me as an emoji-using “LOL” person. She was straightforward, and I liked that about her in person ... but she was hard to read by text.

Normally, I’d have turned over and fallen asleep, but a woman showing disinterest in me was rare—and I’m not saying that to be cocky. Okay ... maybe I am a little. But even married women found a way to sneak a flirt with me.

Not Davina, though, and it intrigued the hell out of me.

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