Page 16 of My Heart Belongs to You

“About you?”

“About my interests,” I corrected him.

He chuckled. “Yeah, that. What’s next on the menu?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, willing my heart to stop racing. Ignoring the implications behind his swift subject change, I pushed the mofongo away, making room for the tostones.

After trying all the food and wine pairings, we narrowed the selections and decided to finish the sea bass and rice. While eating, we talked about work and other mundane things we hadn’t discussed over the phone. He seemed to be in better spirits since his call last night. I wanted to ask how he was feeling but quickly decided against it. He knew he could talk to me about anything and would do so when he was ready.

“Been on any dates lately?”

My head jerked back and I dropped my fork. Nadir raised an eyebrow with a playful simper.

Maybe I should’ve asked about his well-being.

With furrowed brows, I replied, “Why do you ask?”

He lifted a shoulder, then said, “Just curious. You haven’t said anything about it in a minute.”

“I’m not dating right now.”

“What happened to Joey?”

I snorted a laugh. “Joseph is his name, and we’re too busy for anything other than a drink every now and then.”

Nadir chuckled before stuffing a forkful of sea bass and rice into his mouth.

“Still screwing the front desk attendant?” I challenged him, eager to take the attention off me.

“Why does it have to be all that? When you say it like that, it sounds disgraceful.”

“Messy is more like it. And why is she always shooting me nasty looks when I see her?”

Usually, I kept my comments to myself. Nadir was still navigating heartbreak, and I had to give him the space to do that, but still it was my job as his friend to hold him accountable. When he inevitably got bored with her, I knew it wouldn’t end well.

After wiping his mouth, Nadir replied, “Did you have any leftovers for me to take?”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Leaning back in his seat, he shrugged casually. “I see her from time to time. And it’s not messy because we have an understanding, like you and Joey.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Get out your feelings,” he teased, running his finger under my chin. Goosebumps covered my skin from the brisk stroke of his finger. “I promise I’m not out here having irresponsible sex and breaking hearts.”

Rolling my eyes, I walked over to the warmer where I'd stored his food.

“Here’s everything we had today.”

The corner of Nadir’s mouth lifted. “What would I do without you?”

“Whatever you did before we became friends.”

He chuckled. “Nah. I couldn't ever go back to that.”

“Yeah, right.”

Biting my bottom lip, I pushed the bag into his hands. I hated how his words affected me. As much as I wanted to ignore the warmth spreading through me, I enjoyed it. I loved how often he reminded me how much I meant to him.