After lunch, Val had packed up her flask, wiped her fingers with a tissue like she'd just concluded a royal banquet, and announced she was heading out.
"I'll be at the café down the street," she said, already slipping her phone into her bag. Then, after a small pause that was way too deliberate, she added, "You know… in case anyone around here suddenly forgets you're taken."
I gave her a look. She smiled sweetly — that kind of smile that said she was joking but absolutely meant every word.
That was Val for you. Cryptic, funny, and just subtle enough to make her point without needing to swing a sword.
I didn't even try to argue. She blew me a kiss before stepping out, leaving the faint scent of her perfume behind — and the memory of her smug grin burned into my mind.
