Page 91 of Beni

“You always were a planner.”

Facts.

“And maybe I should have told you, anyway,” she added, shifting the bag hanging off her shoulder to ease the weight of her laptop, and couple of books inside. “But I didn’t want to tell you that, Cam, and have to turn right back around and say I didn’t want to be here.”

“Except you do.”

“Now, yeah. Things changed since that meeting.”

Camilla arched a brow. “Or did someone change your mind?”

Well …

“Beni helped,” August admitted, “but I don’t know what’s going on with that now, either. He’s not very happy I’m heading back to New York—I get why.”

“Because neither are you.”

God.

Life was not simple.

Or easy.

August wished her heart didn’t feel so heavy standing there. It only grew heavier as she watched the people flood in and out of the automatic glass doors. Maybe that should have been her first clue that this really wasn’t what she wanted to do, and her heart was trying to be louder than the rational side of her brain.

That side screamed be responsible, make the right choices, and don’t make decisions based your feelings. The other side, and her heart, whispered stay, stay, stay. That was it. Just one fucking word.

Stay.

It was almost heartbreaking how the part of her asking that she stay was quieter than the rest, and yet she still heard it loud and clear simply because of how strong the feeling was for her. And yet, the disconnect between her wants, and her rational side was a bright contrast … leaving her confused, and lonely.

Surprise, surprise.

“So, I didn’t miss sending you off, then?”

That voice.

August didn’t even need to turn around to confirm it was him. The goddamn smirk on Camilla’s face was more than enough for her to know it was Beni. Like her friend was a cat that had just caught the mouse, and was proud of herself for it, too.

“A little bird might have told him what time to be here,” Camilla said.

August gave her a look. “Why?”

“Because even though I’m not mad, I still want you to stay. I will pull all the punches, even last minute.”

Lord.

Camilla winked.

August laughed.

What else could she do?

Reaching for her friend, the two hugged tightly. She wasn’t ready to let Camilla go, either—that was the thing, it wasn’t just Beni. Or the job. It wasn’t even the fact that the longer August stayed in the city, the more she found that she liked it.

It was Cam, too.

She loved her friend.