Watch Me (Phoenix 1)

Rhys glanced over his shoulder, discovering Archer back in the doorway. His longtime friend had a soft gaze, obviously reading Rhys’ thoughts as he added, “Stop punishing yourself for all the things you can’t change, Rhys. She’s good for you. And you’re good for her.”

“Let’s hope you’re right about that,” Rhys said.

* * *

Zoey had spent the morning packing up some of her clothes, but by noon, she couldn’t stand the familiar lump rising in her throat. She had four clients today, but they were all late-afternoon and evening appointments. Needing to get out, she headed to one of Brooklyn’s most beloved cat cafés, The Hungry Kitty. While a part of her was excited to move home to her family in a few weeks, she couldn’t stop a question from repeating in her mind: Why did I meet Rhys now?

Why couldn’t she have met him months ago? Everything felt like it had changed. She didn’t feel like the same woman who’d decided to confront Jake and Scott. The woman who wanted to run back to her hometown. She hadn’t expected any of this, including how Rhys made her feel. He was a dream come true, a fantasy she didn’t know she ever wanted. And the thought of leaving this new life she’d found made that small lump in her throat a whole lot bigger. Because this wasn’t just erotic sex anymore; her heart felt tangled into the mix. Which was precisely why she’d asked Rhys to meet her at the café for a coffee. She could run and hide from her feelings, but she decided to confront them. See if what she felt was real, or if the fantasy of Rhys created feelings that weren’t really there.

An older couple strode by, hand in hand, and Zoey smiled at them as her cell phone rang in her purse. One look at the screen had her feeling terrible. Zoey had already missed one call and barely answered two texts. To avoid her mother sending the police over for a wellness check, she picked up. “Hi, Mom.”

“She’s still alive, thank goodness,” her mom joked.

Her mom’s voice was sweet and tender and could make Zoey feel better whenever she heard it. “Yup, alive and doing well,” she replied, leaning back against the brick wall.

“I hear that. You sound happy. Getting excited to move home?”

“Mm-hmm.” Zoey instantly realized her mistake.

Her mom caught on immediately. “That’s never a good sound, coming from you. Have you changed your mind?”

Had she? Undecided, Zoey stared out at the cute pug walking its human down the street, across the road, and admitted, “There’s just a lot going on right now. I’m excited to move home, but I’ve also got this life here that’s hard to walk away from.”

“You can always change your mind about leaving Brooklyn,” her mother said gently, the warmth in her voice seeping into the cold spots inside Zoey’s chest as she added, “Sometimes you have to test something out to see if it’s really what you want. Perhaps this move is happening too fast. You know I selfishly want you home, but we make it work with you out there. Perhaps we can all put more effort into visiting each other, though.”

Zoey’s throat tightened, confusion making her head hurt. This wasn’t the plan. It had never been the plan. Why was she even questioning this? “I miss you, Mom.”

“Ah, my darling, we miss you too.”

Zoey shut her eyes, guilt nearly drowning her. There were a thousand things she wanted to say to her mother. “Tell me what you’ve been doing,” she asked.

“We’ve been staying busy, working in the garden. Your father has it in his head that he wants to create a backyard oasis, whatever that means.”

Zoey kept her eyes shut and fell into the sweet sound of her mother’s voice. The place was safe, where absolutely nothing could touch her.

But then a warm finger stroked her arm. Zoey started and snapped open her eyes, finding Rhys’ concerned gaze on her.

“All right?” he mouthed.

Zoey nodded, waiting for her mother to finish her story. “Listen, Mom, I’ve got to run. I’ll call you back when I have a minute. Love you both.”

“Sounds good. Love you back, Pumpkin.”

The

phone line went dead, and Zoey stuck her cell back in her purse. “Sorry about that. I’m okay, just missing my parents, that’s all.”

“Understandable,” he said with a gentle smile. He took a step back then looked up at the sign on the storefront. “So, a cat café, huh?”

She grinned big. “Surprised?”

He sent her a sly smile in return. “Intrigued.”

She thought that was a pretty good reaction and whisked the door open. Animals always calmed her, so she figured this was the best place for their first real date. The café was a small rectangular shape with beanbag chairs on the floor and floating tables with wooden benches beneath them. It was her favorite place to visit in Brooklyn.

“Hi, Zoey,” Jane said with a wave as she sat behind the counter. “Your usual?”

Zoey turned back to Rhys. “Are you okay with some snacky stuff for lunch? Cheese and meats, that kind of thing, and sweet tea to drink?”