Page 23 of Midnight Mate
“You must have had a steady stream of girlfriends over the years,” I said, too afraid to look up. “Anyone special?”
“A steady stream, huh? I’d maybe call it a trickle.” He snorted. “But no, no one special.” He waited a beat and then added, “Especially not when I compared them all to you.”
I looked up sharply, ready to throw my coffee on him if he was screwing with me. But his expression was completely serious—and authentic.
“You’re a hard act to follow, Cat.”
“If you’d stayed, you wouldn’t have had to find another act, to begin with.”
The words were out before I could think them through, or soften them. Whatever. Passive-aggressive was well-deserved at this point.
East didn’t answer, and the silence stretched into something strange between us.
“What about you?” he asked. “Anyone special on your end?”
My throat tightened because part of me desperately wanted to say yes if only to hurt him like he’d hurt me. But ten years later, I could rise above that shit—as tempting as it was to offer a low blow.
“No,” I said simply—and firmly enough that East didn’t press it.
After a few minutes, I took another sip of coffee and looked up to find East watching me again.
“What?” I asked.
“You’re different than I remember.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Not at all.” His words didn’t match his expression though. Like he was confused by it. By me. “For one thing, your hair is longer. I don’t remember ever seeing you wear it down.”
My hair?
Ten years, and he wanted to comment on my hair?
Ugh.
“You’re different, too,” I said, eyes narrowing.
His flash of a grin made my stomach flip. “More handsome, you mean.”
“Ha. Well, your head’s bigger than I remember.”
He smirked. “It’s not the only thing.”
I pressed my lips together as heat rushed to my face.
“You’re as bad as Rudy.”
His amusement died instantly. “Who’s Rudy?”
“My roommate.”
“A man?”
“A friend.” I finished my coffee and set it aside. “You ready?”
Rather than wait for a response, I rose. This roller-coaster banter we had going was making my head spin. Work was so much easier.
“Should we head to the clinic?” he asked, pushing to his feet.
