“You’re married to the Bureau, Liis. Everyone knows it.”

“Exactly what I’ve been trying to tell you. Relationships are a waste of time for people like us.”

“You think being in a relationship with me would be a waste of time?”

“I know it would. I wouldn’t even come second. I would be third.”

He shook his head, confused. “Third?”

“After the woman you’re in love with.”

At first, Thomas seemed too insulted to argue, but then he leaned into my ear. “Some days, you make me wish I’d never told you about Camille.”

“You didn’t tell me about her, remember? It was Val.”

“You need to get over it.”

I touched my chest. “I need to get over it?”

“She’s an ex-girlfriend. Stop being a brat.”

I gritted my teeth, afraid of what would come out of my mouth next. “You miss her. How am I supposed to feel about that? You still have a picture of her in your living room.”

Thomas’s face fell. “Liis, c’mon. We can’t do this now.”

“Can’t do what? Fight over an ex-girlfriend? Because a real couple wouldn’t do that.” I crossed my arms and sat back against the seat.

Thomas looked down, laughing once. “I can’t argue with that.”

We waited at the gate until the desk agent called business class for boarding. Thomas loaded up with our carry-ons and my tote, refusing to let me help. We slowly stepped forward in line, listening to the machine beep each time the ticket agent scanned a boarding pass.

Once we were through, Thomas followed me down the jetway, and then we were stopped again near the door of the plane.

I noticed the females staring—this time, the flight attendants—looking past me to Thomas. He seemed unaware. Maybe he was just used to it at this point in his life. At the office, it was easy to pretend he wasn’t beautiful, but out in the real world, the reactions of others reminded me of how I’d felt the first time I saw him.

We settled in our seats, buckling in. I finally felt relaxed, but Thomas was on edge.

I put my hand on his. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not you,” he said.

His words stung. Although unintentional, they had a deeper meaning. He was about to watch the woman he loved agree to marry someone else. And he was right. The woman he loved wasn’t me.

“Try not to think about her,” I said. “Maybe we can step out before it happens. Get some air.”

He looked at me as if I should have known better. “You think I’m stressed about Trenton’s proposal?”

“Well…” I began but didn’t quite know how to finish.

“You should know the picture is gone,” he said matter-of-factly.

“The picture of Camille? Gone where?”

“In a boxful of memories—where it belongs.”