“I’m driving to the city actually, but I could drop you off at work, what time do you have to be in?”

“Nine. I’m closing, which just means I come in an hour after Nic and leave an hour later.” I glanced at his phone, lying on the counter. It’s only eight, but I suppose I could be a little early.

He seemed to consider something, pressing his lips together and staring at his phone like it was his lifeline. “Maybe I could make you some breakfast?”

There was hesitation in his tone. But before I spoke to let him off the hook, his phone rang. On instinct, I turned away when I saw Troy’s name on the display just before he swiped the ignore button and pocketed the device.

August sighed heavily and squeezed my hands. “I need to tell you something.”

I was surprised to find my chest clench with panic. I knew what he needed to say. August wasn’t a liar at heart.

I bit my lip, already feeling his distance. “Is what you have to tell me the reason you can’t see me again?”

He nodded regretfully. “It complicates things, yes.”

Try me, I wanted to say. But incomprehensible fear of anything changing between us took over and instead, I did what I did back in that bathroom stall two weeks ago.

I chickened out.

“Then I don’t want to know. At least not yet.”

He smiled. “It’s not up to you, sweetheart.”

His phone buzzed again, and he reached for it with either a quick glance up at the ceiling or a roll of his eyes. Reading the message, he cursed and looked at me with near dread.

“On second thought, let’s go out for breakfast.” He raced to grab a hoodie and zip up his backpack.

“Is everything okay?”

“Of course, we just need to go—now.”

I sprinted off the chair. “Can I pee?”

“No time.”

I laughed awkwardly and followed, zipping up my boots as August grabbed my overcoat.

“Come on.” he reached for my hand and I slipped it in his with a giggle as we raced out.

I left in sweatpants, t-shirt and a zip hoodie. The most comfortable I’d been on a weekday morning in more than a year. I left my suit hanging by the door and there was no time to go back now.

Troy: We need to talk about next Friday’s game—after my suspension. I’m coming down.

The text from Troy replayed in my head as I tugged Harper’s hand, leading her to the stairwell door. Thankfully, she followed without question. There was just no way she was finding out this way.

“We needed the exercise.” I shrugged as we came out on the seventeenth floor to catch the elevator, two floors down from where Troy was no doubt banging on my door right now. I pressed the call button and waited.