But that didn’t mean I didn’t miss Hayden.
A knock came at the door and it pulled me from my thoughts. I put down my mid-day glass of wine and walked to the front door. I peered through the peephole, expecting to see Emilia on her lunch break or something.
However, I was met with a face I hadn’t seen in weeks.
My heart slammed against my chest and my hands began to sweat. My knees grew weak and my head was spinning at lightning speed. What was he doing here? How did he figure out where I lived? I hadn’t told very many people where I was staying now to give myself time to adjust.
How had Hayden found me?
I drew in a deep breath before I opened the door, and the first thing I saw were the roses in his hands. Clipped at a specific angle I recognized and arranged in a fashion I knew could only be attributed to one person.
Emilia.
Which meant Hayden came in peace.
My eyes raked up to his and I was mesmerized. His suit clung fabulously against his body and he was upright on both of his feet. My eyes dropped back to his long, strong legs as a smile crossed my face.
He had done it.
Hayden was walking.
“For you,” he said.
He handed the roses to me and I took them into my shaking arms.
“Hayden. You’re…”
“Walking?”
I smiled up at him and the grin that crossed his face made my stomach lurch.
“Could I come in?”
“Yes. Of course. Sorry,” I said.
“I believe that word belongs to me.”
“Huh?”
I stepped to the side and let Hayden in before I shut the front door. I rounded around to the small kitchen the apartment had to afford and grabbed a vase from one of the top cabinets. I filled it with some water and put the flower food attached to the rose stems in with it. Then I stuck them in and fanned them out before I drew in their heavenly scent.
Emilia’s roses always did smell the best.
“Sorry. That word. It belongs to me,” Hayden said.
I opened my eyes and found him standing in the living room staring at me.
“I’m not following.”
“I didn’t fire you because you were incompetent, Grace.”
I drew back from the roses and closed my eyes.
“Hayden, whatever the reason, you had it,” I said.
“But you misunderstood my actions.”
“You were frustrated. Held back by me because of my own worries. It’s okay. I’m not upset with you,” I said.