Another conversation with Lauren feels inevitable now, but hellif I know what I’m supposed to say. I’m certainly not going to try and figure it out with Gretchen two feet away.
When we’re about fifteen minutes from the resort, Gretchen stirs, groggily stretching her arms out in front of her. “How long was I out?”
“Maybe thirty minutes.”
She stifles a yawn. “Sorry. I was up at four this morning.”
“No worries. We’re almost there.”
She offers no response, only turns back to the view outside her window.
When silence threatens to take over the car again, I can’t help myself. I want her to talk to me,dammit.
I turn the music down. “When are you planning to go back to New York?” She turns to me with a bewildered expression, like she forgot I was here. Like her mind was a million miles away. Not gonna lie, level ten hurt right there.
She gives her head a quick shake and says, “I’m sorry, what?”
“I asked when you’re planning to go back to New York.”
“Oh, um…I’m not sure.” She twists her hands in her lap. “The company I interned at has a position available that I’m applying for. Interviews are in a couple of weeks. I suppose if that goes well, I could move back before the end of summer.”
“That’s awesome. I’m sure you’ll do great.” She shrugs. “You don’t think you’ll get it?”
“I don’t know. My boss really liked me and she’s the one who recommended me for it, but I’m trying not to get my hopes up.”
“What company is it?” I’ve missed so much of her life. Her ups and downs. Her accomplishments.Her.The Connor of Gretchen’spast wouldn’t need to ask. I’d have known all there is to know. She’d have texted to tell me all about it and then we would have FaceTimed for an hour to talk about it some more.
There’s that ache again.
“Saks Fifth Avenue.”
An incredulous huff tumbles out of me. “Are you for real? Gretch, that’s amazing!”
One corner of her mouth curves up before she rakes her lower lip between her teeth. “Have you ever even been inside a Saks?”
“Um, excuse me,” I say, feigning outrage. “I may be a dude, but I don’t live under a rock. Yes, I’ve been inside a Saks, Gretchen.”
A broad smile spreads across her face as a genuine laugh pulls from her chest.Thank God. The way my heart constricts and softens at the same time leaves no room for misunderstanding—it still belongs to her.
“Buying a gift for a woman, I’m sure,” she teases.
My phone buzzes.
I sneak a quick look—Lauren’s name lights up my screen again. I decline the call, flip the phone around and pretend Gretchen didn’t see me send my ex’s call to voicemail.
“What makes you so sure of that?” I ask in hopes of breezing past the interruption.
“I’ve studied fashion for four years, worked alongside the buyer for menswear at Saks for an entire semester, and I’ve seen what you wear, Connor.”
“I can’t decide if I should be impressed or offended.” I eye her sidelong before I force my gaze back to the road.
She snickers. “Your wardrobe is fine, but I can tell you don’t shop at Saks.”
The joggers and t-shirt I have on are nothing special and I’m sure my baseball cap isn’t doing my unruly hair any favors, but I changed clothes in a panic earlier. Between packing my suitcase, absorbing all the travel details that Drew was relaying and booking my flight via speakerphone, I didn’t pay much attention to how I looked.
“Come on,” she goads. “It’ll feel so much better to admit it.”
I rub a hand along my jaw. My smirk wants to run full tilt when I glance over and find shrewd glee written all over her face, but I tame it into submission. “Lauren ordered a pair of shoes and I picked them up for her,” I finally concede.
