Page 63 of When Annika Met Thom

“I think about you!”

“No, you don’t.” It was a sad thing to say, but Annika wasn’t saddened by it. She was glad she’d seen the truth, finally. “You think of me when you want something from me, something for you. You didn’t think about me arriving at Penn Station for the first time. You didn’t bother to meet me or make it easier for me to get to the apartment. You didn’t even make the effort to tell me that you were dumping me. That’s selfish, Leo, and the only good thing is that it made me realize that nothing has ever changed.”

“Annika! That’s not true.”

“You always had to be first in line, even in kindergarten. You always took the biggest cookie or the best party favor. It was always only about you.” His eyes narrowed but she pivoted to leave. “You were cute. You could be charming, but you never ever reciprocated. You never ever thought about what anyone else wanted, and I’m done with that. Have a great life, Leo,” she said from the doorway. “Iwon’tbe seeing you.”

He took a step after her but his phone rang in that instant. He looked back to the desk as it rang again.

“That would be Cerise, checking that I haven’t seduced you,” Annika said and he looked down at the phone. “I guess she really understands you. Maybe that’s a sign that you’re meant to be together.” And with that, she left, feeling triumphant and very, very good.

It was over. She was free.

It was a bonus that she could hear Leo stammering on the phone with Cerise.

This called for a celebration, and she knew what her number one choice had to be.

And who she wanted to share in that celebration.

She walked back to the apartment and Thom, anticipation speeding her steps.

* * *

Thom was makingstir-fry tofu when he heard the key in the lock of the apartment door. He braced himself for the worst, but Annika cast him a smile before turning to hang up her coat. Was she hiding her reaction? If there were going to be tears, he was a dead man.

Cerberus barked with joy at her appearance and Percival ran laps around his cage. Annika didn’t look to be on the verge of an emotional breakdown, which Thom took as a win. He kept cooking, halfway hoping she’d come closer and halfway hoping they wouldn’t talk at all.

She was the best ever at mixing up his emotions. He couldn’t remember when he’d last been in such a tangle in a woman’s presence.

Much less when he’d looked forward to it. The apartment felt cold and empty when she was out, instead of warm and vital like it did now.

He stirred and fried as if the job was a lot more complicated than it was.

“What are you making?” Annika asked finally when he didn’t say anything.

“House special.”

“Which is?” she prompted when he fell silent again. “Or is that classified information?”

He risked a glance her way. To his relief, her eyes were sparkling and she was fighting a smile. She also was putting a bag on the counter, one that obviously contained a bottle of wine.

Maybe she hadn’t seen Leo after all.

Maybe she was planning to drown her sorrows?

Thom didn’t get it. He jumped at the weight of her hand on the small of his back. His eyes opened wider as her thumb began to trace little circles on the base of his spine. Even through his T-shirt, her touch set him on fire. He shivered, right to his toes, as a tidal wave of warmth swept through him, emanating from that point.

“I saw Leo,” she whispered, leaning against him. Her hair tickled against his upper arm. “And it went fine.”

“I didn’t ask.”

“You were not asking very loudly,” she said and he glanced down to see her smile. “See? No tears, just as promised.”

“You really are different from other women I’ve known,” Thom said without intending to do so.

Annika’s smile was radiant. “Don’t surrender your assumptions too soon,” she teased. “I have a whole week left to undermine them.”

Thom snorted, even though he liked that possibility.

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