He rests the box of some sort of noodles down on his lap. “You’re different. A good different.”
Putting my container down on his desk, I grab a napkin and wipe my lips off. “I’d hope so. I was, what? Sixteen, seventeen the last time we saw each other? People do tend to change in that time period. Ten years, in fact.” He just hums out in agreement and proceeds to pick up his food and eat again. “Is everything okay? You said you went home because of an emergency.”
He nods, catching a fallen piece of food before it hits his lap and draws it back into his mouth with his finger. For some reason, I’m transfixed by the movement and have to force my gaze away before he sees me staring. “Yeah. Cap got out.”
My brows pinch. “Cap?”
“My dog.”
I perk up. “I didn’t know you had a dog! What kind it is? Is it a boy or a girl?”
“I forgot how much you love dogs,” he muses, reaching forward and grabbing a napkin for himself. “He’s a Great Dane who loves to escape. My neighbors always call me when they see him lingering in people’s yards. Thankfully, he doesn’t wander into traffic. The big brute is terrified of vehicles.”
“For the better,” I agree. I try picturing him with a Dane and smile to myself. “It seems like the perfect dog for you. Why Cap?”
I notice the faintest pinkening of his cheeks, which makes me very inclined in hearing his answer. “I named him after Captain America. It was either that or Steve, and frankly, I thought Cap worked better.”
A humorous smile spreads across my face as I study him. “Agreed. Though Jesse named a dog Bruce once after Batman, so…”
We both laugh.
“Do you have a picture?” I fidget in my chair to get comfortable as he reaches for his phone and swipes the screen a few times. When he turns it to face me, an even bigger smile stretches my lips when I see the white and black speckled dog standing next to him. “That’s such a huge ass dog. He’s cute though.”
He clicks his phone screen off and sets it back down. “He’s a good boy. Besides the occasional escape routine. I think he gets antsy being alone in the daytime. Elizabeth used to—”
When he cuts himself off, I tilt my head wondering why. He clicks his tongue and stares at his food for a moment. “Elizabeth would stay at home with him as a puppy. I think he got used to it and has some form of separation anxiety.”
It’s none of my business. “Do you miss her sometimes? My mom mentioned her before in passing. You guys were engaged. Even if you separated amicably there’s got to be some feelings still.”
Without hesitation, he responds, “Of course. I was going to marry her. Spend forever with her. Even if we did, I wouldn’t have been miserable. We were happy for the most part. Content.”
I frown at that. “Love should be more than contentment though.”
“Exactly.”
Itching for more information, I dig despite my conscience telling me not to. “What made you realize contentment wasn’t enough? I know from personal experience that it’s hard to figure out what feelings are real or not.”
He gives me a thoughtful look before setting his food down in front of him and leaning back with his hands on his stomach. “It’s not so much about what feelings are real or not. There isn’t such thing as fake feelings. For me, it was more about being aware of her feelings in order to better understand mine. If it was the forever kind of love, we wouldn’t have been searching for something else.”
I cross my legs under me in the chair, interest bubbling inside me. “What were you looking for?”
For a long moment, he doesn’t answer. Instead, he stares off like he’s lost in thought. When the tip of his tongue swipes across his bottom lip, I track the movement with my eyes. He looks then, catching me staring at his mouth. My face heats with embarrassment.
His eyes narrow slightly, thoughtfully. “I wasn’t sure then, but I think I am now.”
My brows furrow down.
He picks up his food. “I’m looking for something that’s easy. No forced conversations or hurt feelings when I poke fun. I want to talk about work and life and old memories. What I want is this.”
I’m taken aback by his answer, staring at him with