Why, then, did it feel so important to prove to her that he could be a one-girl kind of guy, that he might have a solution that would make both of them happy, even if it was entirely crazy?

Don’t be an idiot, he chided himself, as he did every time the insane idea popped into his head.

“It’s for you,” he said simply, handing the gift to her.

Clarke had given Audrey plenty of presents over the years, but this was the first time he’d felt nervous about it. He’d gone with his gut, but as he watched her shove away the tissue paper, he had doubts. He should have gone with jewelry or something fun and frivolous. Something she’d never have bought herself. Wasn’t that the general rule on buying gifts for women? Something indulgent and pampering?

Audrey’s gift had three parts, and she laid them down on the counter one by one, as a faint line formed between her eyebrows. Clarke resisted the urge to grab the items, stuff them back in the bag, drag her to Tiffany’s or Chanel, and tell her to pick out a new pair of earrings.

“What is it?” she asked, looking up at him.

Clarke cleared his throat. “It’s ah… it’s for your iPhone. The middle one is a lens that allows you to take better quality photos on your phone since you don’t carry around a separate camera. The other is the case that you clip the lens onto, and the third is a filter to give you more options. You mentioned a few months ago that you wish you had more photography options, without always having to switch to using a camera, and I researched—”

Audrey threw her arms around his neck.

“Thank you,” she murmured, burying her face into the nook beneath his jaw.

Clarke’s eyes closed as he wrapped his arms around her, returning the hug. “I am really sorry. You know that, right?”

He felt her smile. “I know. It’s okay.”

He gave a quick shake of his head. “You shouldn’t make it that easy for a man, Dree. You deserve the groveling.”

“I don’t need the groveling. I got flowers, a heartfelt apology, and the most thoughtful gift anyone’s ever given me.”

He smiled in indulgent disbelief. “It’s a camera lens. Not even the expensive kind, but a clip-on.”

“That fits into a clutch and that won’t require me to change my workflow,” she said, pulling back and looking up at him with a smile. “It’s perfect.”

He smiled back, but it was fleeting. He knew he was getting off too easily. “About Elizabeth…”

Her grin slipped. “We don’t have to talk about it. You’re right, you don’t have to tell me everything about your life, and I’m sorry I badgered you, making you feel like you had to.”