Page 22 of Love Around the Corner

A fist clamped around Leo’s heart, squeezing hard. “I’m sure that’s not…” Was he going to lie outright now? Because Alfie was perfectly right about what had happened. “I’m sure it was more about him than you.” He cringed. Fuck. That sounded lame.

“Yeah, that’s what he said, but I can’t help wondering…”

“Maybe he’s just a coward,” Leo blurted. “Ever think of that? Maybe he’s just a cowardly prick who…who couldn’t handle meeting the real you. Maybe he doesn’t deserve you.”

Alfie looked up with a surprised grin. “Are you sticking up for me?”

“I…” Leo could have cried, or laughed. Both. “I just don’t think you should blame yourself.” He eyed Alfie’s hand where it rested on the table next to his phone. He wanted to reach out and take it, but knew he didn’t have the right. “Maybe he’s not the man you think he is. Maybeyou’rethe one who’d have been disappointed if you met.”

Alfie shook his head. “I can’t imagine that.”

A stretched silence fell, Leo’s unspoken confession backing up behind his teeth. What if he’d been braver that night? What if he’d just gone in and set his copy ofPersuasionon top of Alfie’s, where would they be right now?

“One Ph? gà,” the waitress said, arriving with two enormous bowls of noodles. “And one Ph? Tài?”

It was a timely interruption, and they busied themselves for the next few minutes slurping down flavorful broth and noodles. Alfie looked up, pulling a silly face as he sucked noodles spaghetti-style into his mouth. “Remind me never to bring anyone here on a date,” he said, laughing as he reached for a napkin to wipe his chin.

Leo laughed too, although he felt unreasonably flattened by the idea that this wasn’t a date. Not that itwas, it’s just that it had developed something of a date-like feel and he— he’d liked that.

God help him, he’d like the idea of being on a date with Alfie Carter.

They chatted about this-and-that while they ate, Alfie filling him in on New Milton’s big romance between Finn Callaghan, actor, and a guy who’d taught up at the local school. Rumor had it a wedding was in the offing, and that it might be held in town next summer. “That’ll be good for business,” Alfie said with a smile. “Callaghan has a ton of fans. They’d all show up to get a glimpse, I bet. Stock vampire books—that’s what his show’s about.”

But even as they talked, Leo saw the way Alfie glanced at his phone. And, oh, how well he knew the feeling of waiting for a reply to a message—especially a heartfelt message like the one Alfie had just sent. By the time they’d both finished eating and were settling up, Leo couldn’t take the preoccupied look in Alfie’s eyes any longer.

“Just gonna hit the bathroom,” he said as they headed for the door. “I’ll meet you at the truck.”

Inside the restroom, he pulled out his phone and studied Alfie’s message again.

So this guy I thought was a prick? Turns out he’s not. Turns out I’d created an idea of him that was all wrong. Makes me think about you and me, and how well we really know each other. Makes me wish we’d met on Tuesday and found out.

The problem was, how to separate his conversation with Camaro89 from his conversation with Alfie? He was afraid of giving himself away, but he couldn’t let it hang like this.

Heart pounding, he wrote:I think you’re right. It’s inevitable we created ideas of each other that are different from reality. And maybe we should meet, but it can’t be yet. I’m sorry, but it can’t.

Switching off his phone, afraid a text alert would betray him if Alfie replied, he headed out to the truck. Alfie’s face was blue-lit by his screen as he leaned against his cab, and Leo’s heart stumbled at the sight of his pensive expression.

“Hey,” he said as he drew nearer. “Ready?”

Shaking himself, Alfie nodded and pocketed his phone. They rode back in silence, Alfie clearly distracted by his thoughts and Leo not daring to ask about them; it felt wrong when Leo was playing both sides of the conversation.

As they drove, a few snowflakes drifted in the air, sticking to the dry windscreen. The forecast was for snow over the weekend, but it should hold off until after tomorrow night. Leo hoped so; he found he was looking forward to the Christmas market. And to spending more time with Alfie.

When they pulled up in front of Leo’s store, Alfie killed the engine and paused for a moment, sitting behind the steering wheel and gazing out at the falling snow. It would be a good moment to tell him the truth, Leo realized. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. “Alfie—”

“Sorry.” He startled back to himself with a rueful smile. “Sorry, I was miles away.” Without looking at Leo, he opened the door and jumped down before Leo could say anything else.

And Leo didn’t stop him, coward that he was.

Blowing out a breath, he got out more slowly and slammed the door behind him. Alfie was already digging out a bag from under the tarp at the back, and turned with a smile to hand it over. “There you go. That’s the stuff for your store.”

“Thanks.” Leo was acutely aware of the warm brush of Alfie’s fingers as he took the bag from him, of the way their eyes caught and held.

And then they were simply standing on the dark street, looking at each other. Alfie’s expression was unreadable, but his gaze flickered between Leo’s eyes and mouth, his breath misting in the cold air. Tension flowed between them, heavy and unacknowledged like the insistent pull of gravity, but the only thing that moved was the falling snow.

I want to kiss him, Leo realized.I don’t dare.

In the distance, a car door slammed. Leo jumped, Alfie laughed, and the tension broke. “Well,” Alfie said. “I guess I should get going,”

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