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He shook his head, frustrated beyond belief. “You do that.” Should he kiss her? Would it be appropriate? Lilah stepped backwards, away from him, and with one final, tight smile, she turned and began to walk slowly towards the door.
In his head, he imagined chasing after her and ripping her around to face him. He imagined kissing her long and hard until she stopped being such an idiot and admitted that they could find a way to make this work.
But those dreams were built from fantasy. In the real world, life didn’t always work out how you wanted it to. In the real world, there was heartbreak and indecision. Doubt and uncertainty.
And loss.
There was always, always loss.
Part Three
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK
TWO MONTHS LATER
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
One of the fluorescents bulbs overhead was flickering every few seconds, casting an almost ghostly glow over the yellow walls and grey linoleum floor. Lilah didn’t mind.
In her mind, that was what American restaurants always looked like. The fast food ones, at least.
She stuck out like a sore thumb in the little eatery, but she didn’t care.
Will had been right.
The food was amazing.
But that wasn’t why she’d come to Lin Lee Chu’s every Tuesday since arriving in New York a month ago.
She came because of him, though she hardly dared admit it to herself. “Number seventy four? Number seventy four?” The voice announced over the speakers and Lilah flicked her eyes to her pink ticket. The matching number winked back at her. She walked gracefully to the counter, unaware of the looks of appreciation and interest that were driven her way. After all, Lilah was used to being looked at.
In an effort to blend in, she had scaled down her couture suits and dresses and opted for the more American style of dressing. A pair of tailored black trousers and a cream sweater were perfectly ordinary, but when teamed with her stilettos, pearl choker and the ingrained elegance that accompanied her everywhere, Lilah was every bit the princess she’d always been.
She smiled at Lin Lee as she lifted her tray and cutlery from the counter. “Thank you. It smells delicious,” she said in Cantonese.
“You’re welcome. It’s a pleasure.”
She turned and walked back to her table by the window and settled herself as far along the booth as she could. She liked to sit there and watch the world pass her by. It was early in the evening; many of the people walking past the busy restaurant were obviously undertaking their journeys home from work. Some were heading out for the evening. A group of young women strolled past in high heels and mini-dresses despite the frigid night air.
Lilah smiled.
That was part of what she loved about this city.
It was a singularly unique part of the world; a true melting pot of cultures and beliefs. It fired her soul and warmed her spirit.
She snapped her chopsticks in two. Just as she stirred the steaming noodles, the door opened inwards, causing the little chime above to ring prettily. She almost didn’t look up; after all, the restaurant was busy and people were coming and going often.
But her eyes shifted reflexively, fixing to the door as though they knew what to expect.
And every single nerve-ending in Lilah’s body began to tremble.
There stood Will, but as she’d never seen him before. He was laughing, his handsome face lifted to the ceiling, his mouth open. Dressed casually, in jeans and a sweater, he had an arm equally casually slung around the shoulder of his companion. With dread and grief, Lilah blinked and then forced herself to look at the woman beside him.
She was beautiful. A much better fit for Will than Lilah could ever be. She looked as though she’d stepped out of an Abercrombie and Fitch catalogue, with her shining blonde hair pulled high into a pony tail, her carefree black shirt and skinny jeans, a bright scarf and comfortable running shoes. Lilah hated her on sight, though she was all too aware of how childish and undeserving the emotion was.
They were comfortable together.
And Will was happy.
