Page 15

"I guess they do," I say, dropping my gaze to the ground.

A brief silence falls again where I have to actively stop myself from drinking her in. Before I can slip, I try to end it.

"Well, you should probably—"

"Do you like it here?"

We both talk, then stop simultaneously.

"Sorry," she says, pulling down on the hem of her tank top so it covers the sliver of skin I barely noticed. "I'll just—"

"I like it," I jump in before she can finish.

Fuck.

Before she can leave.

"I really like it, actually."

She smiles genuinely, relaxing. "That's great, Jace."

There's my name again.

I inhale deeply, attempting to stop the flutter in my stomach. "Do you—are you visiting?"

Her face settles almost eerily. She shakes her head. "No."

One word. That's all she gives.

And I don't even need anything else.

Lenny lives in Golden City.

I hide the fact that the thought is slowly suffocating me while my mind runs through every scenario. Every possible reason.

When my eyes flick to her left ring finger and find it empty, that tightness eases more than I'd like to admit.

"I live right there, actually," she adds, pointing toward the apartments on the other side of mine.

I follow her finger, more grateful than I should be for the detail. When I wind up staring at the building I can see from my window, I can't help but allow the chuckle crawling up my throat.

"Of course you do," I mutter quietly.

"What was that?"

I turn back and instantly wish I hadn't. The city's namesake is just starting to take over, the sunset cascading over the park and covering it in that damn golden glow. And as hard as I tried not to think it before—tried not even noticing—there's no avoiding it now.

She's still painfully fucking beautiful.

"Nothing," I lie. I nod in the other direction toward my building. "I'm up there."

Her face goes white, and there's a part of me—a bitter, six-year-old part—that takes pleasure in making her uneasy.

"I should get Vienna home," I say suddenly.

She nods, blinking fast like she's returning to the moment.

"Yeah," she grins. "Of course."