perfect—a tiny nose, a bow-like mouth, and slanted black eyes that sparkled
with intelligence. No doubt, Lee’s parents had chosen well.
Or had Lee chosen her? Had he planned to break up with Della all along? He’d seemed
pretty happy sitting next to her until Della showed up.
Not that he looked too happy now. He frowned when the girl slipped her arm through
his, but he did the right thing and introduced them. “Mei, this is Della, and her …
friend.” The word friend came out sounding like a four-letter word. “Her friend who obviously likes to fight,
if his black eye is any indication.”
Della tensed, ready to tell him that Steve got that black eye standing up for her.
Something she suddenly realized that Lee had never done. Not even with his parents.
“Actually,” Steve spoke up again, “we were just wrestling around in bed and Della
got me in the eye with her elbow.”
Lee’s shoulders tightened and all Della could think was, Go Steve.
Mei looked up at Lee and seemed to see his reaction. A tightness pulled at the girl’s
brow as she glanced back at Della. Della recognized that tightness as plain ol’ jealousy.
She’d felt it tug at her own brow every time she thought of Lee with someone else.
Oddly, now Della felt … What did she feel? Angry. Hurt. Sad. But she didn’t feel jealous.
That meant something, Della knew that, but now wasn’t the time to contemplate it.
“We should…” Her words got hung up when she met Lee’s eyes again. The sad feeling
swelled in her chest and she realized a better name for that emotion. Grief. She had
loved Lee. Loved him with everything she had. And she’d given him her all—her heart,
her body, her mind. Now she’d lost him. And now she grieved for what used to be.
“Go. We should go,” Steve finished for her. “I already took care of the bill.” Steve
let go of her waist and held out his hand to Lee. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”
Lee didn’t take it. Which was super-awkward and not like Lee. He normally wasn’t rude.
Or was he? Had she missed that about him, too? Della nodded at the couple and when
Steve’s arm found its way back around her she let him guide her away.
They left the restaurant and it took a few seconds of the cold fall air hitting her
face to realize she was still holding onto Steve. Holding onto him as if the ship
of her life had been capsized. As if he was the only thing floating in the stormy
waters to cling to.
The sense of weakness, feelings she could easily drown in, washed over her and sparked
another flicker of anger. A big one this time.
She pulled away. Confusion bounced around her gut. The grief clung to her heart as
tightly as she’d clung to Steve just a few minutes ago, but then the anger she’d experienced
earlier returned. She opened herself up to that emotion. Anger she could handle, anger
she could run with. So she let it roll around her, washing away the other emotions
that made her feel weak and vulnerable.
She looked at Steve, who appeared happy, just the opposite of how she felt. “You followed
me,” she accused him.
The slight smile in his eyes dimmed. “I was obeying orders,” he said. “We were told
to stay together at all times.”
“Damn it! I don’t give a shit about orders. I don’t like to be followed.” A heaviness
filled her chest and she recognized it as guilt. Guilt for …
“Then don’t run away again,” he said matter-of-factly and started walking to the back
of the restaurant.
Damn it. Guilt for acting like an idiot with the person who’d just saved her.
She caught up with him. “I’m not finished talking!” she seethed.
He came to a quick halt and swung around. “But I’m finished listening. You can get
mad all you want. I was trying to help.” He took off again.
“I said I wasn’t finished!” She flashed forward and shot in front of him, putting
a hand out to stop him. When her hand met