Page 59 of Fool Me Twice

“No, that’s fine. I can get a taxi. I want to go right now and get a head start on some things.”

“Absolutely not.” I pulled my phone from my pocket.

She frowned. “I can’t go into the office early? I would have thought you’d be happy to hear that.”

“You’re not taking a taxi,” I said as I sent a text to my driver. “The car is coming to the front now to pick you up.”

I could see in her expression that she still didn’t want to accept the ride. Perhaps she was feeling prideful after what happened between us and didn’t want to depend on me. I understood that, but it was also silly.

“You’re my guest,” I said. “It’s up to me to make sure you make it to and from work.”

Finally, she nodded. “Thank you.” She opened the door. “I’ll see you there.”

“See you there,” I said around a knot in my throat.

I watched her slip into the house, each step taking her further away from any possibility of us ever being together in the way I wanted.

Shaking my head, I sat back in the lawn chair. I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up. What did I expect, really?

If only I could stop being fixated on Georgia. It seemed impossible, though, and not merely because I couldn’t have her. She was nothing like the women I’d met since she left my life; all of them paled in comparison.

A rapping on a window made me look up. Melba was in one of the kitchen windows, her fist against the glass. Once she caught my attention, she ducked down and spoke through the screen.

“You are making a huge mistake.”

“What?” I stared at her. Had she listened to mine and Georgia’s conversation?

Melba disappeared from the window, and a moment later the sliding glass door opened yet again.

“That girl is one in a million.” Melba fanned herself in the morning heat.

“You were spying on us.” I shook my head in disbelief.

“The window was open.”

I looked past her. “Aren’t you supposed to be taking Sebastián to school right now?”

“He can wait a few more minutes.” She waved her hand. “We always get there early.”

She took a seat on the lawn chair next to mine.

“Are you about to give me some life advice?” I asked.

“Will you follow it?”

“That depends.”

Melba didn’t dish out the advice often, but when she did it was usually warranted. Which made me think I really was making a mistake.

“She kissed you,” Melba said. “She showed you how she feels, and you are merely letting that go?”

“You were spying on us last night, too?”

She frowned. “No. Of course not. I heard everything I needed to this morning, though.”

“Georgia and I can’t… We’ll never…” I trailed off, not even having the energy to argue my point anymore.

“How can you be so sure if you do not try?”