Always Only You by Chloe Liese (z-lib.org).epub

She lowers the menu. “Søren.”
I drop my voice and lean in. “I hope I’m not insulting your intelligence when
I ask this, but you did consider that we’d be photographed, right?”
“Yep.” She lifts her menu and goes back to reading.
The waiter comes by, filling our waters. When he walks away, Frankie
watches until he’s a decent distance from us, then lowers her menu.
“What are a few more photos of us over lunch?” she says, sipping her water.
“Whether it’s the truth or not, it’s what people think. Even Darlene bought it.”
“She what?”
“This morning she texted me to ask, telling me I could be honest with her,
and I wouldn’t get in trouble. Apparently, she thought, especially after the press
conference answer you gave, that you and I were a thing.” Frankie snorts, then
takes a sip of her water. “She said it seemed likely from the photo. Hilarious,
right?”
Her words cut brutally. There’s my answer, quick and painfully swift. God,
the disappointment.
Frankie frowns as she takes me in. “What?”
I rub over my heart instinctively. It does nothing to quell the ache in my
chest.
“Ren. Talk to me. Remember, I can’t…I am even worse than the average
human at intuiting. But the nice thing about me compared to most people is that I
have no problem being told how and when I get it wrong.” She leans in, sliding
her hand toward me, halting halfway across the table. “Please.”
I meet her hand so that our fingertips touch. “You just said the thought of us
being in a relationship is laughable.”
“I didn’t say that,” she says gently. “I said that deducing from a photo that
we’re in a relationship is hilarious. Darlene of all people should know better than
to assume that much from a paparazzi shot.” She tips her head, her eyes dancing
over my face. “You thought I was saying I found the idea of us hilarious.”
I slide my fingers further across the table, until they’re woven with hers.
“Yes.”
She squeezes my hand in her grip, making me glance up. “But that isn’t what
I said. And if ever you meet someone who means literally what she says, it’s me,
Zenzero.”
“I understand. That makes sense.” I’m weathering a boomerang of emotions,
but I try to smile and show her I believe her. Because I do.
With a final squeeze, she withdraws her hand. “So. In the spirit of that, I’m
going to be direct—”
The waiter shows up again. Worst possible timing. Ever.