Except...
“He said he loved me,” I murmured, more to myself than Audrey. Simon hadn’t been mad that I wanted him at all. He’d been mad that he thought I didn’t.
“Then this seems like a non-problem?” Audrey suggested. “You’re into him, he’s into you...”
“We fought,” I said.
“I know, I talked to Simon after.”
“No, not…” I waved my hand. “We fought before we left. He left me at the house after the wedding. I hurt him.”
I looked up at Audrey in time to see her shrug. “You didn’t mean to.”
“No.” No, I’d never meant to hurt Simon in my entire life. I’d never meant to hurtanyone, but I would have cut out my own tongue instead of hurting Simon if I’d known I’d been about to do it. I hadn’t known.
“So apologize,” Audrey said.
“What if he doesn’t believe it?” I asked. No one ever wanted to hear that I was sorry. That I wasn’t being difficult on purpose. Simon had just alwaysknown. That was part of what made him so important to me.
“He believed it after the first fight,” Audrey pointed out.
He had.
We’d fought, and then... it’d been okay.
I’d completely misunderstood what he’d saidafter, but the apology itself had been okay. He hadn’t told me I should have known better. I hadn’t groveled. Simon had even apologized tome, though I still didn’t think he’d needed to. I’d been in the wrong.
He did that because...
“Simon loves me,” I said, staring past Audrey to my office door. The one with the world, which had Simon in it—Simon, wholoved me—on the other side.
I’d heard him say it. It just hadn’t landed until now.
Audrey broke into a warm, broad smile.
I hoped Corey’s dad knew how lucky he was to have her. If he had her. I’d ask later. Right now...
“I have to...” I gestured at the door, hoping she’d understandrun and apologize to my best friend in the whole world who loves me and might even let me kiss him if I’m smart about this, which I really, really want.
Audrey stood, straightening her blouse and setting the USB stick she’d brought down on my desk with a click.
“I’ll get out of your hair,” she said. “Let me know how it goes, yeah? My contact details are on there.” She nodded to the USB.
“I will. Thank you,” I said as she headed for the door. “Uh, it is Wednesday, right?”
Simon took late lunches on Wednesdays. A glance at my phone told me it was almost three. If I was quick, I might catch him on a break.
Not that I was about to let something like museum security stop me.
“Theo, it’s Friday,” Audrey said.
I looked at my phone again.
Fri. 4. 7.
Shit.
27