Page 34 of Honey Bun
Her face went white. “No.”
This was on me. I’d spend my life protecting her from harm, and I would never stop. I pointed to her room. “Stay back.”
Then I went to the door. If it was trouble, I’d face it without her near me, as always. I opened the door. No one was outside, but there was a small gift basket with sweets that included popcorn like we’d had at the carnival.
I picked it up and Aurora said, from not far behind me, “It’s a gift. You two must have had a fight.”
My stomach twisted. I picked up the note and read Arman’s cursive:After work today, will you join me at MoMA? Perhaps after, we could find time alone to finish what we started.
Miss you, Arman.
My heart leapt. MoMa had a pop art exhibit I’d mentioned to him a week before. I’d thought it might provide inspiration for the New Year’s party.
He was the most honorable man I’d ever known, and he was sweet, kind, and perfect. I wished I wasn’t a disaster waiting to explode in his life. My daughter and I needed to start figuring out a real world where we might live without pretending. And honestly, Arman deserved someone together and smart and on top of the world like he was.
I put the note in my bra so Aurora wouldn’t find it. “We didn’t… but he wants us to go to the MoMA tonight.”
She stared at my chest to let me know she knew I was hiding something. “A night on the town, where you get to see art you like. He’s totally sweeping you off your feet.”
“Don’t be silly.” I raised my eyebrow. She’d been dragging me to museums for weeks. “I want you to come with us.”
She stared at me. “No. I want to do my homework.”
Maybe there was a project or deadline she hadn’t shared. I said, “I’d write you a note.”
She pivoted and went to her room. “Maybe later. Mâmân Bozorg Roxanne is in town, so I can crash with her while you’re out later.”
My heart twisted. She thought of Arman’s family as hers, and I’d let that happen. Arman would have demands I wouldn’t be able to meet, and he’d be disappointed, which would end up destroying our fantasy world. And I had a daughter to consider.
It was time to stop this. I needed to tell Arman first, and then I’d deal with Aurora’s heartbreak. “You’re very demanding these days.”
She kissed my cheek. “You can be too.”
After I dressed, I found my daughter with her backpack near the door. We walked to her school, taking in the fresh city air near Central Park. Outside the door of her school, I hugged her. “Well, I might have to disagree with you soon, but for now, I have to go to work. Have fun at school.”
She rushed inside, thrilled with her life. I kept putting one foot in front of the other, though I half wondered if I should run in the other direction. I didn’t want to uproot Aurora, and I needed to face Arman again.
Then I took out my phone and typed,Arman, we need to talk.
I almost put it in my pocket when it beeped. His answer read,Come to my office. I’m at work already.
I swallowed. I would have to say goodbye to him face-to-face. I quickly wrote,Be there soon.
I kept my head up. I had to see him and tell him that was time to go.
Madeleine
A few minutes later, the elevator doors opened. The company’s headquarters were buzzing, but the activity of the office quieted to zero closer to our workspaces, as Arman preferred privacy. I worked alone in the suite, forwarding messages and reports to Arman in an order he liked. Joel handled most of the in-person meetings, and Arman only occasionally had visitors.
The moment I stepped into our corner of the office, his glass door opened, and he waved me inside. My heart sang as our gazes met, but I clutched my hands. One day, I’d forget the excitement of his nearness. Those brown eyes of his pulled me closer. I lost the ability to think of anything other than how my lips craved his. Leaving would be crazy hard.
I went to my desk, but his sweet voice called to me. “Maddie, come in.”
I glanced at my computer, feeling like I couldn’t breathe. Then I nodded to myself. “We need to talk.”
I walked toward him, staring at him again, and my mind went blank as my desire grew. The night before, he’d seen more of me than anyone else had. I doubted Bob ever noticed, but Arman saw every part of me, including my soul. I straightened. It was time to tell him how I felt.
He waved me to a seat. “I’m glad you’re here. I need your help.”
