Page 61 of When Annika Met Thom

“How do I know he’ll open the door? He’s not taking my calls.”

“I’ll call him and tell him my girlfriend is dropping something off for me.” Cerise waved a hand. “A blouse she borrowed. One I want back for the weekend.”

Annika nodded.

“He’ll open the door. What happens after that is up to you.” Cerise tore the paper off the pad and handed it to Annika. “I’ll also tell him to call me when she’s left to confirm that he has the shirt. I give you ten minutes with him and that’s it.”

“It won’t take that long,” Annika said. “Thank you, Cerise.” She smiled, knowing the other woman had doubts about her motives.

Maybe Cerise understood Leo better than Annika had. Maybe they’d be happy together. Annika didn’t much care anymore. She wanted closure, so she could move on and that was it.

* * *

The apartment was amazinglyclose to where Annika was staying. She halfway thought that if she peered around the corner from the window where she was staying, she might be able to pick out the other building. Not that she’d bother now. It was just weird that Leo had been so close, and yet so far.

Kind of like the last five years.

She buzzed from the lobby—the security door was shut at this building—heart in her throat. What if he didn’t let her in?

“Yeah?” Leo sounded grumpy, as if he hadn’t wanted to be disturbed.

“I’ve got Cerise’s shirt,” she said, trying to make her voice higher than it was.

“Okay. Hurry up, though.” The lock on the door buzzed and Annika was through the door in a flash. The apartment was on the third floor so she took the stairs, wanting to have an excuse for her racing heart when she confronted Leo.

She took a breath and knocked on the door. It didn’t have a spyhole, but she crossed her fingers behind her back. It opened immediately and even though she’d braced herself for her first sight of Leo in four months, she was astonished by her own reaction.

She felt nothing.

Leo was pushing one hand through his hair and she could see his glasses discarded on the table by the window. He looked tired, as if he’d lost a bit of weight, but she didn’t feel sorry for him. “I’m busy studying,” he said with impatience and stretched out a hand, obviously expecting the shirt and not really looking at her.

“Hi Leo,” Annika said softly and watched his eyes widen in shock as he looked at her for the first time.

The color rose over his face and he started to stammer, the way he always did when he was caught. “Annika! Hi! Wow, this is a surprise. How great to see you!”

“Is it?” She pushed open the door, compelling him to step backward, and marched into the apartment. Leo was so surprised that he didn’t think to react in time. He shut the door and hurried to get his glasses, then scrutinized her, like he was trying to read her reaction.

And choose which lie to tell her.

“I get it,” Annika said. “We’re done. I think you should have had the courtesy…”

“To tell you,” he said, finishing her sentence with a sigh. “I know. But I knew you’d be disappointed and…”

“You were too much of a wimp to face the results of what you were doing.”

He smiled sheepishly and Annika couldn’t believe how much he resembled a naughty child. He wasn’t sexy at all. “Figures that you of all people…”

“Would understand,” Annika concluded. That still worked but she wondered whether it was because they had a connection, or because everything they said to each other was completely predictable.

And what he said was insincere.

She folded her arms across her chest and fixed him with a look. He fidgeted. “You said you loved me. You said we were going to be married. When did you realize you didn’t want to do that?”

Leo winced. “A while ago.”

“When?”

“Last year.”

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