Page 88 of When Annika Met Thom

“Was it everything you wanted it to be?” she asked softly.

“All that and more,” he admitted, meaning more than the wall. “You totally nailed it.”

“Not just me,” she said, glancing up at him. Her smile had faded, but her eyes were still shining. “I think we made a good team.”

Thom nodded agreement, his throat tight. “The best.” He cleared his throat. “Annika…”

Annika leaned a little closer, her eyes bright, but then someone shouted from the floor below.

Ten

“Way to go, Annika!” a guy bellowed, then gave a wolf whistle.

Thom knew that voice.

Evidently Annika did, too, because she caught her breath. They looked down as one to see Leo standing beside Kyle, applauding as hard as he could.

He wasn’t wearing his glasses.

He’d come to make up with Annika, just as Thom had anticipated.

History was repeating itself, right before his eyes.

Annika stared down in shock, delight, astonishment or some combination thereof, none of which interested Thom. He couldn’t read her reaction and that meant he didn’t want to.

He knew how the story went from here.

“Race you back down,” he said then jumped before she could respond. He rappelled down the wall to the sound of cheers and encouragement, his pulse pounding in his ears. He heard Annika swing down right behind him.

She passed him like a shot, reaching the floor six feet before him.

“Leo!” she had time to say before Leo caught her close in a possessive kiss. He even dipped her.

The crowd went wild.

And that was that. Thom turned around to unbuckle his harness, knowing he didn’t have to watch a reunion like this ever again. This one burned, though, more than Rhea’s reunion with her ex.

He wasn’t going to think about that.

He wasn’t going to think about Annika with Leo. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

For the first time, he had problems with the latch, like he was all thumbs, but finally got it unfastened. By the time he turned around, Annika was hurrying toward the office, presumably to change and get her stuff. He was glad that her train was at six, as that meant there wouldn’t be time to do more than retrieve her suitcase and Percival from the apartment and get to the train station.

Leo would have to forgo a romantic send-off, and Thom liked that more than he knew he should. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy, in his view.

“Hey, Thom,” Leo called after him and Thom looked up. His former roommate sauntered toward him, his expression a warning. He looked vindictive and Thom thought about retreating a step. What did he have to be resentful about? “Thanks for screwing my fiancée,” Leo said with a sneer.

“Fiancée?” Thom asked. “You dumped her for Cerise.”

“And you were there to catch her,” Leo said. “Isn’t that what friends are for?”

“We were never friends,” Thom said tightly, turning for the change room.

“No, we weren’t. No point in prolonging it.”

Thom glanced back. “What does that mean?”

“Your stuff had better be gone by the time I get back to the apartment tonight,” Leo called after him. “I’m moving back in and don’t have space for a roommate.”

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