I walk down the street with a plan in mind. I have to trudge a few blocks before I find a place that’s still open this late, but I finally succeed.

Armed with the best please-forgive-me bribe a woman can have, I hail a free cab and give the driver Lucas’ address.

Thirty-one

Lucas

When the buzzer of my apartment goes off, I’m already in bed, busy not sleeping and staring at the ceiling, wallowing in my usual cloud of self-despair.

The alarm clock on the bedside table informs me it’s almost midnight. Who would ring me this late at night? A neighbor who forgot his keys?

I get up, walk into the living room, and press the intercom button. “Yes?”

“I have a delivery,” a weird voice says from the other side. I can’t tell if it’s male or female.

“You have the wrong apartment. I didn’t order anything.”

“Are you Lucas Keller?”

“Yes?”

“Then there’s a delivery for you.”

“What is it?”

“I’m just a messenger, sir.”

“Okay, come up, I’m in apartment 4B.”

As I wait for the delivery person to arrive, I don’t open the front door, but wait behind it, spying from the peephole. A delivery at midnight for something I didn’t order? Sounds highly suspicious. It could be a robbery attempt, or a prank, or…

My eyes bulge.

Or it could be Vivian, looking entirely scruffy-dressed and messy-haired but none the less beautiful as she walks down the hall carrying a small box in her hands.

I throw the door open. “Did you just pretend to be a delivery guy?”

She jumps back, frightened at my sudden appearance, but recovers quickly. “I didn’t pretend.” Vivian shows me the box. “I have a delivery for you.”

“So you didn’t change your voice.”

“The intercom must have a strong distortion.”

I cross my arms and lean against the doorframe, as Max peeks curiously from between my legs.

“And what’s in the bag, Miss I’m Just a Messenger, sir?”

“Donuts,” she says.

“Who would send me a box of donuts so late at night?”

She gets closer, but not too close. “Someone who’s really sorry she couldn’t trust you when she should have and wants to apologize?”

With an outstretched leg, I stop Max from running into the hall to cover Vivian in doggy kisses—which, to be honest, is what I’d like to do right now. Well, maybe not the doggy part.

I try to keep cool as I say, “Tegan finally confessed?”

“Yes, and Lucas, I’m sorry for the way I reacted, but it really did make no sense you’d have to work on a Saturday night. I’m a lawyer, remember? I need facts and logic. And neither was adding up, so I panicked. The last time I gave myself completely to someone—”

“I’m nothing like that man,” I cut her off.