Page 108 of My Only

Like I said, I knew women like Harper. I knew how to navigate them.

No need to argue. No need to address.

“You and Ayla have been together forever, huh?”

I smiled. “We still have forever more to go, but yeah, we’ve been together a while.”

“Do you ever miss being single?”

I frowned.

“You know, the freedom of it?”

I pulled my lips into a slight shrug. “I don’t think I understand what you mean. I still have freedom.”

She bit at her bottom lip, lashes fluttering. “Good to know.”

That?

Now, that was concerning.

A good enough reason for me to flag Jalen down and check on my order. But just as I shifted my focus away from Harper to search for him, I saw something that made my stomach drop.

More like someone…

My dad.

Stepping into the restaurant.

My entire body tensed.

I don’t know why I had that reaction.

I wasn’t doing anything wrong.

But the moment I saw him, all I could think about was Ayla.

And before I could sink a little lower into my seat, his gaze locked onto mine.

Shit.

He saw me the exact moment I saw him.

And instinctively, I wanted to hide.

That alone should have been my answer.

The fact that my gut reaction was to duck, to disappear—that should’ve told me everything.

Because this?

Sitting here with Harper?

Was not as innocent as I thought it was.

The way the booth was positioned in the restaurant, you could see straight through the oversized windows to the Freedom Tower.

You could also see everyone who walked through the front door.

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