ISABEL
Monday starts with coffee.
Ares texts at seven AM: Morning, beautiful. Coffee run? I'm buying.
I shouldn't say yes and encourage this when I'm also seeing Marco. When I still haven't chosen between them but I text back: Blue Bottle on Columbus. 20 minutes.
He's already there when I arrive, two cups on the table and that devastating smile on his face.
"You're predictable," I say, sliding into the seat across from him.
"You're beautiful," he counters, pushing my vanilla latte toward me. "And I missed you."
"You saw me Friday at the contract review."
"That was business. This is..." He reaches across the table, lacing his fingers through mine. "This is us."
The casual intimacy makes my chest tight. Ares does this, makes everything feel easy, and natural, like we've been togethe
