Page 78 of My Heart Belongs to You

“It’s almost as good as you.” I dropped a kiss on her cheek.

Robyn blushed. “Stop it.”

I flashed a sheepish smile then took another bite.

“So are you ready to tell me what’s going on with you?”

I sighed, debating if I was ready. Robyn studied me as I chewed my food. After a minute of deliberation, I said, “The other day, I ran into Valerie at Over Easy.”

Robyn hummed. “How was that?”

“First she apologized for how she acted the last time I saw her.”

“As she should’ve.”

I laughed. “Yeah. Then, we got to talkin’ about Avery and Vanessa.”

Robyn nodded, her eyes never leaving mine. “How are they doing?”

“Good, according to Valerie.”

“Good.” Robyn smiled.

I leaned back in my seat and sighed. “Yeah, Avery will be here this summer and Valerie offered me the chance to see her.”

“And you don’t know if you should?”

“Nope.” I shook my head.

Robyn continued eating. Her eyebrows furrowed as her mind worked. “Did she say if Vanessa is okay with it? I know they have a rocky relationship. I’d hate for you to be in the middle of their drama.”

I explained how they're working on their relationship and Valerie is warming Vanessa up to the idea of me seeing Avery.

“This is all so messy.”

“Yeah, there’s too much drama, which is the main reason I want to just keep it moving. But on the other hand, I miss the kid.”

Robyn rubbed my arm. “I know. Just take it day by day. If Valerie reaches out again, follow your gut. There’s no right or wrong answer.”

“You’re right.” After finishing my food, I took my plate to the sink to wash it. Robyn remained in place while eating her food. I looked over her appearance, noting she was dressed up. She wore a green dress that cinched at the sides and stopped mid-thigh. Her curls had fallen into loose waves, cascading down her back. I licked my lips, wondering how much time we had left together.

“Heading out soon?”

She nodded. “I’m meeting up with Khalil to use his printer. Once he listed all the paper options and printer settings, I suggested we meet in person.”

“Good idea. Before you go, I wanna talk about what was shared last night.”

Robyn twisted her lips. “I felt compelled to say it is all.”

“Nah. I’m gonna need more.” I returned to my chair, turning to meet her endearing expression.

“You know I love you, Nadir.”

“I do and you know I love you, but that felt different.”

She grinned. “On my way home, I was thinking about how much our friendship means to me. It’s quickly evolving into more and just because I’m not ready doesn't mean our feelings will stop growing.”

“I agree.”