Page 10 of A Wolf of War
Even if she was still sulking a little.
While Poppy finished up, Willow went about making herself a cup of coffee. She wouldn’t have the quiet morning she’d hoped for, but that was okay. She found comfort in her sister’s company, and getting over twelve hours of sleep left her feeling at least somewhat refreshed.
They made their plates and ate in silence untilPoppy mentioned the elephant in the room.
“So, this Milo guy…” she started, glancing at Willow expectantly.
“Yeah? The one you decided to invite out to ice cream before you even knew his name?”
“Oh, come on. I just like making friends.”
“Okay, well, the people you try to make friends with are creepy.”
“But you’re my friend!”
“Poppy, we are not friends, we’re sisters.”
“And your sister is your first friend!”
Willow groaned, putting her face in one hand, while Poppy grinned. Once she had regained composure, her sister started in again.
“Anyway, what’s up with him? You two seemed like you were getting cozy.”
“Nothing is up. I’ve never met the guy before. I don’t know. Something just feels weird.”
“No, I agree. If you want my honest opinion, I don’t like him. Something isn’t right withthatone.”
Willow mulled that over, taking a sip of her coffee. It was unlike Poppy to dislike a person so strongly, especially so soon. Her sister was themost social person she knew.
“I don’t know. I think I want to see him again. I gave him my number.”
Poppy gasped, putting a hand over her heart before saying, “Willow Montgomery!”
“What?!”
“You never give a strange man your phone number! What were you thinking?”
“Well, I did, and there’s not much I can do about it now,” Willow grumbled. It wasn’t like she could hack into his phone and delete herself from his memory. The thought of that, of him losing his memory of her, made her stomach flip. Willow tried to ignore it.
“And you shouldn’t be drinking all that sugar before noon.”
“Okay, Poppy, I get it. Are we done?”
“I love you.”
Willow sighed once more in response before getting up and grabbing her plate. She glanced over at the coffee machine longingly. She would love another cup, but it would make her anxiety spike. Decaf was an option, but decaf was also a sin.
Instead, she grabbed a cup of water and went upstairs to her office. She had some work she wanted toget ahead on, and it would only take an hour or two.
***
She couldn’t focus.Every few seconds, her eyes darted toward the phone charging on her desk, her fingers twitching, itching to grab it. Not a single text had come through in the last hour, and the silence was starting to eat at her.
Of course, Willow could make the first move. She could break the ice and reach out to him... but that would mean giving in.
It felt foolish to play these games with a man she had met once, and one she still wasn’t sure about. And yet, there was something deeper at play. It was like a primal instinct had awoken inside her. She wanted him to chase her. She wanted him to make her feel hunted.
But she also wanted him to stop making her feel like an idiot with a crush.
