Lex zoomed up to the stoplight on the Key Bridge, and I learned very quickly not to watch the road if we were moving. He drove like a maniac. If I had a car like his, I’d never drive it. And if I dared, it would be at a snail’s pace.

“You know, your eyes light up when you talk about your work.”

His intense focus on me made me want to squirm. No one had ever looked at me like that, like he really saw me, like he was dissecting my soul. Back to awkward and uncomfortable. “You have a way of making me edgy.”

His voice pitched lower, and he started the car forward again. “Edgy bad or edgy good?”

“Honestly? I’m not sure. I don’t really know what to do with you.”

He grinned. “So you know, the feeling’s mutual.”

The hell it was. There was no way I made him edgy. “Yeah, right, says the guy who probably has women dropping at his feet all the time.”

“You’d be surprised. I don’t date much.”

Now that was curious. “Why not? You’re certainly good-looking enough. Smart, engaging. What deep dark secret are you hiding?”

I might have imagined the shadow that crossed his face, it was so brief. But the tension surrounding us thickened.

“It’s complicated, but I guess no one’s ever made me want to share my secrets.” He frowned. “On Friday, you were talking about things you'd left behind. I'm curious. Did that include a boyfriend?”

Heat suffused my face. I wanted to open the window for some air but couldn’t figure out which of the tiny buttons it was. “It's complicated.”

“Ah, I see. A little tit for tat.”

I rushed to explain. “No. No, it's not like that. I just— It was sort of messy. Basically, he kept my dream from me. I’d spent the last five years with someone who made me feel like I wasn't good enough.” Not to mention being an abusive asshole.

His voice was calm, modulated, and he stared directly ahead. “Five years is a long time. A lot to let go of.”

I winced as the memories swirled on the edges of my consciousness. “Tell me about it.” I didn’t want to go into it, but I wanted to talk to someone. I was exhausted from holding it all in, so I told him what I could. “Turned out I had him pegged all wrong. Once I figured out my mistake, I sent him packing.”

“So when did he figure out that you weren’t going to take him back?”

“Probably when I changed the locks. I left a note letting him know he couldn’t get back into our place.”

Lex coughed. “Oh, shit. What did the note say?”

A smile pulled at the corners of my lips. “You have a week to move out. Call my sister for a key.”

“That's it?”