She spun away from the horrific thought, but minute after minute, hour after hour, it haunted her. Clive was terrible at commitment because he was constantly distracted by the new and shiny. Catie was nothing like that… but did the reason matter when it led to the same end result?

She felt sick to her stomach.

Yes, Danny was young and hot and currently far from her, but he was also a man who knew how to commit. To his family. To his sport. To his friendships. When Danny Esera said he was going to do something, he did it.

And still panic gnawed at her. Because if she put herself out there and he let her down, it would hurt a hell of a lot. Regardless of what she’d told herself, she’d fallen for him… fallen far harder than she’d ever intended.

Now she had to decide if she had the courage to open herself up… or if she should shut it all down before he could do the breaking up.

Because even the most generous heart couldn’t give forever.

31

LOVE SOUP

Danny was just walking out of the hospital when he received an emoji text from Catie: an orange and a glass.

Orange juice for the invalid, he deciphered with a grin.

He sent back a nurse emoji. She sent the smiley rolling its eyes.

Grinning, he slid into the passenger seat of Takuro’s car.

“You’re in a good mood for a man who was just in the hospital,” his friend said.

“Catie.” Danny’s grin deepened. “She sent me a funny message.” Other people wouldn’t get it, might even consider it a juvenile way to communicate, but it worked for the two of them. They got it, got each other.

“You know,” Takuro said, “when you first came to Tokyo, I thought for sure you’d be single again in a month tops. I’ve seen it happen many times. But you two are the real deal.” He shot Danny a quiet look when they stopped at the lights. “She was so worried about you.”

“I’m madly in love with her.” It was somehow easier to admit it to Takuro than to anyone else—maybe because the other man didn’t know Catie or his family and had no stake in the game.

“Dude, I know.” Takuro laughed. “I can always tell when you’re reading a message from her. Your face lights up like the sun.”

Breathing in the frenetic energy of Tokyo, Danny said, “She’s a lightning bolt to my system. She’d love this city. All the energy it has—she’d fit right in.”

“Is she going to visit you?”