Chapter 23
Kayla racked her brain trying to recall when and where she could have met Luke before. If he had really liked her for so long, they must’ve crossed paths at some point.
Luke let out a soft chuckle at her question. “Yeah, we’ve met before.”
“Where? When?” Kayla pressed.
“I think a light gray tone would look good for the bedroom–feels pretty classy. What do you think?”
Clearly, he wasn’t planning to answer her question. And if he didn’t want to say, there wasn’t much Kayla could do about it.
“Sure, I’ll send you the updated renderings later,” she replied flatly.
Just then, her phone rang. It was Laura.
Kayla didn’t want to pick up, but she couldn’t exactly ignore her. Laura’s voice burst through the line the second the call connected, excited and nosy.
“Kayla! Did you meet him? How is he? I’m telling you that Luke guy is a gem–good manners, good looks, makes good money. If you end up with him, you’re set for life!”
Her phone volume wasn’t very low, and Luke heard every single word loud and clear. He didn’t even try to hide the grin spreading across his face.
Kayla, on the other hand, gave a deadpan smile. It was all lip service and nothing more.
‘Aunt Laura, if he’s so amazing, why don’t you set him up with Tessa instead?” she replied dryly.
Laura’s
Tessa George was Laura’s daughter who had just graduated from college.
“Tessa? Please, she’s not good enough for a guy like that. Anyway, stop trying to change the subject. What did you think of him?”
Kayla knew she couldn’t keep deflecting forever. “He’s great. Just not the right fit for me. I’ll explain more when I get home, okay? I’ve got something to deal with here. Gotta go.‘
And with that, she hung up.
When she turned back to Luke, his grin from earlier was gone. His expression had leveled out–cool, unreadable.
She didn’t say anything, and neither did he.
A few minutes later, they pulled up in front of her studio. They both got out of the car. It looked like Luke intended to follow her inside, but Kayla didn’t think that was necessary.
“You already gave your thoughts on the color palette. I still have a client meeting later, so…”
Her words trailed off as her eyes landed on someone behind Luke. Someone she thought she wouldn’t be seeing again. It was Jonah, holding a huge bouquet as he walked slowly toward Kayla.
Kayla was speechless. She had fought so hard to pull herself out of the emotional wreckage. She was finally starting to forget those eight years, letting time blur the scars he’d left behind–and now he had to show up?
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Kayla reached out, grabbed Luke by the wrist, and effortlessly pulled the tall man in front of her.
Caught off guard, Luke instinctively leaned in, thinking she was about to whisper something.
“What’s wrong?” he asked quietly.
“Drive safe, okay? Text me when you get home,” Kayla said.
Then, with one hand on his shoulder, she leaned in and kissed his cheek. In that moment, the tulips slipped from Jonah’s hand and hit the pavement with a soft thud.
The sound made both Kayla and Luke glance in his direction.
Still reeling from the unexpected kiss, Luke finally caught on to what had just happened.
“Professor Simpson, are these flowers for me? Thanks.” Kayla stepped away from Luke and casually bent down to pick up the fallen bouquet.
“But next time, maybe don’t bring any. My boyfriend might get jealous.”
“And this is?” Luke took a step forward, giving Jonah a once–over with a scrutinizing gaze, then asked a question to which he already knew the answer. Let me introduce—this is my ex–husband, Jonah,” Kayla said.
She added, turning to Luke, “And this is my boyfriend, Luke.”
Kayla stayed poised and composed, while Luke, just as confident, extended his hand toward Jonah without hesitation. “Nice to meet you, Professor Simpson. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Jonah bit down on his pale lip, forcing a tight sinile as he reached out to shake Luke’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Chapter 24
