“That fits with absolutely everything I’ve learnt about your grandmother so far. She’s quite a strong personality, isn’t she?”

“That’s the polite way of putting it.” I let a small laugh escape. “She’s many things, but beneath it all, she’s the best. Just don’t tell her I said that, for God’s sake.”

He mimed zipping his lips. “Your secret is safe with me. Unless she gets me drunk. I’m a bit of a talker when I’m drunk.”

“Interesting. So all I have to do is get you hammered and I’ll know all your dirty secrets?”

“I don’t have any dirty secrets.” His grin was lopsided. “Do you?”

“Only the ones that have been buried.” My smile matched his. “We’re just talking for the sake of it, aren’t we?”

He nodded slowly, then adjusted his body so his arm was on the back of the sofa and he was facing me. “I know this is a bit awkward after what happened between us. Not seeing each other.”

“I know. It’s not like we did it on purpose, though. Maybe it’s the universe trying to tell us something,” I joked.

He wasn’t laughing.

“Do you really believe that?” His face was solemn, and his eyes were unreadable. All laughter had disappeared, though, I knew that much.

I shrugged, pushing some hair behind my ear. “I’m not sure, Isaac. I do know that I’ve been wrapped up in my own head and overthinking everything since you left my house. I don’t know if that’s a good or a bad thing.”

“Talk to me.” He took a small section of my hair between his fingers and played with it. “What are you thinking, love?”

Ugh.

I loved it when he called me that. It rolled off his tongue so perfectly it could give me shivers.

“Is this just because of the texts? We obviously had a mutual—if secret—attraction to each other before all this happened, otherwise neither of us would have considered having sex. But my worry is that now, this is all happening just because of the text messages.”

“You’re worried it’s all sexual.”

“Not that it’s a bad thing,” I said quickly. “I wouldn’t be against the idea of having a purely sexual relationship with anyone, but I don’t think that’s what I want right now. I see Immy with Mason and… I don’t know. It makes me want that for me, too.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I’m not a sexual relationship kind of guy. Time is so limited, and I’m not into using the little time I have just to get my rocks off. I have a right hand and a shower for that.”

My lips twitched.

“I have to admit that I have had similar thoughts to you,” he said in a low voice. “I think having time apart the past two days has put things into perspective, whether that be good or bad.”

Slowly, I nodded. I agreed wholeheartedly.

The problem was, with him sitting right here, staring at me with his green eyes with my scalp tingling as he played with my hair…