best for me.
“Can you just give me some time to process all of this?”
“We don’t have time. You’re about to leave me before we even started.”
I walked up to Vaughn and tried to keep as calm as possible. I wanted nothing more than to curl up with him and cuddle, but we couldn’t do that right now. I needed to think. “I’ll call you. This is just moving really fast.”
Vaughn lightened a bit at my words. “We could be so great together, Sena.”
“I just want to make sure this is real. I want to figure out what feels right. And to be honest, I’m not sure I want to work with your brother as my second in command. I also don’t know how I feel about working here without you. I just need time, okay?”
He licked his lips, averted his eyes, and nodded. “Okay. But I’m not letting you get too lost in your own thoughts, Sena. I’m picking you up tonight at eight. You can’t run from me. You can’t run from this.”
I wasn’t expecting such a steadfast declaration.
“Okay,” I whispered before debating on whether or not I should kiss his cheek. The boundary between us had been obliviated. Vaughn made the decision for me, though, and leaned forward to kiss me goodbye.
“See you tonight,” he murmured against my lips. A shiver traveled down my spine.
“See you tonight,” I agreed.
Chapter 5
“I shouldn’t have agreed to this,” I mumbled while looking at myself in the mirror. Adam was sitting, his spine straight as a board, on my bed.
“Did you know San Francisco is most known for its sea food? I’m allergic to shellfish, Sena. This move could very well kill me.”
Adam was still stuck on this San Francisco issue. He kept word vomiting facts about the city and looking for jobs at one of the universities there.
I smoothed out my velvet tank top and adjusted the sleeve on my chunky knit sweater before turning to face him. “Adam?” I said cautiously. “You do realize if I take this job that you don’t have to come with me, right? Your career is here. Your apartment. You have the entire subway system memorized.”
“But you won’t be here,” Adam replied with a scoff while staring at his laptop.
My heart swelled. Adam didn’t do affection or over the top declarations, but that simple statement was the equivalent of saying I love you, dumbass.
“I’m going to take this decision very seriously, Adam.”
He let out a slow exhale before closing his laptop and looking at me. “I think you are right to consider everything. It’s been psychologically proven that humans tend to want something when they realize they can’t have it—men in particular.”
Yes! Exactly! Adam just got it. “I know. The fact that Vaughn announced his fucking love for me the day after I quit is really absurd.”
Adam cocked his head to the side. “Oh, I’m not talking about Vaughn.”
Well, that was a surprise. “You aren’t?” I asked.
“Vaughn offered you himself and the career you’ve been fighting for, but your first instinct was to run. I think it’s smart to take this very seriously, because from a logical standpoint, your refusal makes no sense. You got what you wanted.”
“But it doesn’t feel right,” I argued. “I don’t know how to explain it.”
“Perhaps you’re just scared. I think it’s ridiculous that you’re mad at Vaughn for not acting on his feelings of six months when you’ve loved him for seven years. If you wanted him, you could have stated your intentions long ago.”
Shit. Adam was right. I knew he was right. There had been plenty of opportunities to tell Vaughn how I felt. There was just always something stopping me. And now that I had him, I was pumping the brakes. I put on my boots and searched for my jacket as Adam followed me with his gaze.
“A lot of things make me uncomfortable,” Adam murmured. “Large crowds. Street vendors that don’t follow proper food safety protocols. One-dollar bills. Bathtubs. Youths. The dust bunnies under your dresser that are made up of dead skin cells. The texture of yarn. Cows. My Uncle Jerry. Tornados. Unmatched socks. Blood diamonds. Termites. Bedbugs. The entire continent of Australia…”
“That’s quite a list you’ve got there,” I replied before grabbing a soft scarf and putting it on.
“But you’re not scared of anything,” he replied in a monotone voice. “I like that about you.” Adam picked up his leather messenger bag and put away his laptop. “Enjoy your date. Please stick to a