But others would stay the same.
Nothing made me happier than seeing the way Tatum crossed the room so easily to hug me. She hugged me with a tight squeeze, not flinching from the pain in her chest. She seemed to be back to perfect health, so strong that it didn’t seem like she’d been shot in the first place. Tragedies like the one she endured usually changed people.
It didn’t change her at all.
“You look lovely, Tatum.” When I pulled away, I glanced down at her ring. I used to see Isabella wear it every single day, but then it disappeared into the black hole of my nightstand. To see it on Tatum’s hand brought me different kind of joy. It made it feel like Isabella was still here, welcoming in the daughter she never got to meet.
“Thanks, Vincent. Can I get you anything?”
“Just some water will be fine.”
Titan retrieved a glass from the kitchen and carried it to the coffee table. “How have you been?”
“Making arrangements at work for my vacation time.”
“I hope the wedding isn’t too much of an inconvenience to you.”
“Not at all.” I sat on the couch, opening my coat button as I bent my body to sit. “I just have to be prepared. I work so I can have a life. I don’t live to work. Big difference.”
“And an important difference.” She had a glass of water herself, but she didn’t take a drink. Her lips were painted with her usual lipstick and she was in a black dress she would normally wear to the office, but she hadn’t returned to work—to the best of my knowledge. “So, were you planning on bringing a date?” she asked. “So I can notify the wedding planner?”
I immediately broke eye contact, Scarlet’s beautiful face coming into my mind. Her dark hair framed her face perfectly, and the slender lines of her neck made me want to kiss her everywhere. A week had come and gone, and I hadn’t spoken to her. I wasn’t sure why I expected her to call, not after the painful conversation we had. She accepted my departure with dignity and elegance, and that just made me want her more. She was a strong woman, the kind that didn’t appear weak in front of anyone. She refused to let me hurt her, and that made me respect her. “No.”
“Oh…that’s too bad.”
“Yeah.” I drank my water, feeling the cool liquid moisten my dry throat.
“You haven’t seen anyone in a while, then?”
Diesel wasn’t around, so this conversation didn’t feel so awkward. I felt like I could tell Titan things I couldn’t say to my sons. Maybe it was because she was a woman. “No, not really. I was kinda seeing this woman from Platform magazine…but it didn’t work out.”
Her eyes narrowed on my face, and she cocked her head to the side. Nothing about what I said was particularly alarming, but the words obviously meant something to her. She leaned over the coffee table and picked up the very edition that had me slapped on the cover. “Scarlet Blackwood?”
I could only assume she’d read the article. “Yes.”
“Vincent…she’s really into you.”
I read the article that was published, and while it was filled with flattery, I didn’t think our romantic connection was obvious. “You’re reading too much into it.”
“No, I’m not.” She set it down again. “I thought it when I read it, but now that I know you dated her…it’s obvious.”
My hands came together, the veins on the backs of my knuckles firm. Thinking about Scarlet bummed me out, but the idea of calling her filled me with guilt. No matter what I did, I was doomed.
“Why did you start seeing each other?”
I shrugged as I searched for an explanation. “It was too complicated.”
“Complicated how?” she asked. “I’ve always heard Scarlet is a wonderful editor and an even more incredible person. You can judge someone’s character based on what their employees think of them. And they have nothing but good things to say about her.”
“Not surprising…”
Her eyes narrowed again, and this time, a smile accompanied it. “So you did like her?”
I knew I should shut up. “She’s a lovely woman. Very poised, polite, interesting…”
“Then why don’t you keep seeing her?”
I rubbed my fingers against the scruff along my jaw. I hadn’t shaved in five days. The motivation to preserve my appearance had disappeared.
“She’s in her forties, right?”
“Yeah…forty-two.”
“So she’s the first woman you’ve dated that’s your own age.”
“Not quite,” I said with a chuckle. “I wish I was still in my forties.”
“What did you guys do together?”
If I really wanted this conversation to halt, all I had to do was stop answering her questions. Or I could make an excuse and leave. Even just telling her that my personal life was none of her business would suffice. But I didn’t want to do any of those things. I guess I wanted to keep talking about it. “We went to breakfast after I bumped into her one night. Then we went to the MET together before it opened…had dinner together. I enjoyed her company.” I just enjoyed it a little too much.
“How long has this been going on for?”
“A few weeks,” I answered. “We originally met so we could talk about the article, but our conversation went off on a lot of different tangents. Then we weren’t talking about the article anymore, just having a real conversation. She has a daughter who’s in nursing school right now. She was married once before, but apparently, it was a mistake. She has a great sense of humor…she’s easy to talk to.”
“I suspect she didn’t call it off based on the article…so was it you?”
All I did was give her a nod.
“Why, Vincent? It sounds like you actually liked her.” Titan’s voice fell in intensity, and she was practically whispering. She must have sensed the
