Page 114 of The Hallows Queen

He chuckles, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “My assistant.”

“Oh,” I say, going red as I stare at the screen pretending to look for his order.

“You always were the jealous kind,” he muses, chuckling again.

My head snaps up, and my eyes find his. “I’m engaged.”

He sighs, putting a hand on the counter to tap his fingers impatiently. “Is my order ready?”

As I nod, a wave of embarrassment washes over me. “I’ll go grab it.”

I rush to the kitchen before I can hear his response, wondering if he’s watching me walk away, and I fall against the wall in the kitchen and put my hands on my knees. My chest heaves, and I try my best to catch my breath as anxiety washes over me.

It’s been four years and change since I’ve seen Hayden – and nothing could have prepared me for the moment I came face to face with my best mistake again.

“You okay, Penelope?” one of the guys that works in the kitchen calls over to me, and I stand up straight and take a breath.

“I’m fine.” I take one more deep breath and walk across the kitchen. “Do you have an order for Serena ready to go?”

He points at the counter I’m standing at. “Right in front of you.”

I grab it. “Thanks.”

“You sure you’re good, boss?” he asks, setting down the spoon in his hand. “You look pale.”

I shake my head, laughing under my breath. “Just seeing ghosts.”

“Okay…” he says after I’ve turned around and started walking away. “Let me know if we need to do an exorcism.”

I laugh, pushing out into the restaurant and walking to the to-go counter again. Hayden is right where I left him, and he meets my gaze when I come into view. I put the bag down on the counter. “Here you go. Have a good night.”

His lips twitch. “Should I pay you?”

“Oh, um,” I mutter. “Don’t worry about it.”

At this point, I just want him to leave. I just want to breathe easy again.

“Okay…” He drags the word out, grabbing the bag. “Thanks, P.”

My stomach drops, and I want to throw up. “Don’t call me that.”

His brow furrows. “What?”

Swallowing over the dryness in my throat, I shake my head and look down at my feet. “Don’t call me that like you know me. We’re strangers.”

He sighs, putting the bag on the counter again. “I’m sorry.”

When I look at him again, he presses his lips together and sighs through his nose. “Look, I’m going to be in Luxington for a couple days… Can we have dinner or something? Catch up?”

“No,” I say, shaking my head. “No way.”

“You could even bring your fiancé if you felt more comfortable,” he offers, staring at me.

I almost laugh thinking about Hayden meeting Gavin – they’re opposites in every way. Plus, Gavin has never heard anything about that part of my life, and no way am I going to introduce him to my ex-boyfriend/student who I did drugs with.

“No, thanks,” I say, keeping my composure. “Enjoy your time in Luxington.”

I make myself busy with the computer again, scrolling through outstanding orders over and over, and by the time I look back up, Hayden is walking away.

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