Page 33 of When Annika Met Thom

Leo swore.

Thom snorted and turned his back on Annika, obviously trying to silence his laughter.

There was a long moment of silence.

Annika was ready to wait. She gripped the phone, eyes narrowed, and her heart as cold as ice.

“Annika?” Leo asked and he sounded uncertain. “What are you doing on the phone?”

“You called me,” she reminded him sweetly. “I guess you didn’t want me to miss the big finish.” She paused, thought about being gracious, then met Thom’s steady gaze. He’d turned around again to face her and his expression was intense.

Annika took a breath. “Fuck you, asshole,” she said into the phone and ended the call.

Thom nodded approval then applauded her slowly.

Annika marched toward him and poked him in the chest with her phone.

“You didn’t tell me aboutCerise.”

“Not my story to tell. I told you that.”

He had.

“What does she look like?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“I wouldn’t have asked otherwise.” Annika put some boss lady steel in her voice. “Tell me.”

He studied her and seemed to make a decision. “Dark hair, lots of make-up, big...” He cupped his hands in front of his chest. “She works at a bar and looks like the kind of woman who would do you in the washroom on her break.” He shrugged. “Just like all the others, really. He definitely has a type.”

Thom would have turned away, but Annika seized his arm. His skin was warm and smooth, but she wasn’t going to be distracted. “You said that before. How many others?” she asked and Thom stilled as if belatedly realizing how much he’d revealed. His gaze flicked to hers and he looked worried.

She arched a brow, not giving it up.

“I’ve only been here two months…”

She gripped his arm harder. It was like squeezing a steel beam. “How many?”

Thom frowned in recollection. “I’ve seen six.”

Annika felt incredibly stupid. “But you think there were more.”

“I’ve heard at least ten names.” He shook a finger at her. “Do the details matter? Let it go.”

Let it go.

As if it was that simple.

“Let it go,” Annika repeated, spinning away from him and pacing the width of the apartment and back. “Let it go!” she cried, flinging out her hands. “Because twenty years of knowing you’re destined to be with someone is no big deal!”

“No such thing as destiny,” Thom said calmly.

“It was kismet. It wasfate.” Annika paced as she spoke and somewhere in the middle of her argument, she wondered who she was trying to convince. “We fit together like we were designed for each other. We were meant to be together, forever and always. We wereperfecttogether.”

“Which explains him butt-dialing you while he was fucking Cerise.” He held up a hand. “Wait. Who was it who didn’t understand how to use his phone?”

She flung herself at Thom, knowing she couldn’t hurt him, knowing it was irrational to even want to make him pay for her disappointment, but he caught her wrists in his hands, holding her fists above his chest. He bent down, his gaze boring into hers.

---