Page 25 of Here With You

Tilly stared at her for a moment. “What kind of fruit?”

Em watched The Kessler, hoping to get a glimpse of him leaving. “Does it matter?”

Tilly grunted. “Yes, it matters. Are you a grape or a durian?”

“What the hell is a durian?”

“It’s a prickly fruit that smells like sewage.”

“And people eat it?”

Tilly shrugged. “Yes. It’s the perfect example of why a person shouldn’t judge. It’s not attractive, but once you get past how it looks and the smell, it tastes like caramel custard topped with whipped cream.” She scrunched her nose. “And maybe a little garlic sprinkled on top.”

“That sounds awful.” She reached for the nearby coffeepot and poured herself a mug. Tilly always had fresh coffee ready. “Apparently, I’m as sweet as a peach.”

“That’s a good thing.” A cook from behind the line called Tilly, and she rose and picked up two plates. When she returned, she set one in front of Em. “Dig in. You’ll need a solid meal to survive the night.”

Em looked down at a petite filet covered in hollandaise sauce and lumps of crabmeat. Next to it were her favorite scalloped potatoes and grilled asparagus.

“What would I do without you?”

“Eat at Cricket’s, and your ass would be the size of an elephant’s.”

Em chuckled and cut a piece of steak and then swirled it through the rich, creamy sauce. “It’s not like you’re limiting my calories with this meal.”

“I’m providing you with sustainable energy.” Tilly took a bite of her steak. “Mmm. What else happened while you were visiting Miles?”

Em dug into the potatoes. “Not much. He invited me in for a beer, and then he got naked.”

Tilly choked on her steak. “He what?”

Em closed her eyes and relived the moment. “He was halfway nude when I arrived. No shirt. No shoes. And no inhibitions.” She smiled. “It’s good to know that some things haven’t changed.”

“And why did you go there? I thought the big reveal would be when you showed up at their table looking like dessert.”

Em pointed to the window. “You need to stop spying on people.”

Tilly raised her brows to make a point. “Says the girl who won’t take her eyes off The Kessler for fear of missing something.”

She sighed. “Oh, I’ve been missing something, all right.” In a bowl in the center of the table were fruits and veggies, and she picked up the zucchini.

“No way? Was it always like that?”

She’d wiped all memories of Miles from her head because thinking about him made her heart ache, but now that the memory vault was open, she had to admit that nothing below the belt had changed.

After a sigh, she nodded. “Seeing him made me want things I have no business wanting.”

“I don’t think you ever stopped wanting him. You just told yourself all the reasons you couldn’t have him.”

“I still can’t have him.”

Tilly pinched the bridge of her nose. “What’s stopping you?”

“Nothing has changed. He’s still not a good fit.”

Tilly wasn’t one to hold back, but the red lifting to her cheeks told Em that she was suppressing a response. After several breaths, Tilly smiled, but it wasn’t a genuine smile. It was a smile to cover her disappointment.

“By whose standards? Your father is gone and can’t decide for you.” She shook her head and made un-lady-like growling sounds. “That mean bastard ruined so many lives.”

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