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“Show me what you’ve written. We need to check your tone.”

“What? No. I’ll check my own tone.” Holding my hand over my screen, I scrolled back through my texts over the last couple weeks.

Me

Hope you’re well.

Ayla

I am. I hope you’re well too.

I am. Just been thinking of you.

She responded with a heart to the message. Then, a few days later.

Day off today. Spent time with Ollie and Maisie at the park. They were up to their usual antics.

Wish I could’ve been there.

I wish that too.

Sending a photo

Another heart. Then a couple more days. I remembered agonizing over whether or not to write, starting and stopping several texts before I sent the next one.

Heard one of your songs while I was driving today. Got so distracted Finn had to radio me three times before I responded to dispatch. Embarrassing. [eye roll emoji]

[blushing face emoji]

And just yesterday, from me:

Missing you.

Fuck. I scrubbed a hand over my face.

“That bad?” Callum asked.

“What is wrong with me? I sound like I’mobsessed.”

He grinned. “From you, Teller, that’s saying something. And it’s a pleasant surprise.”

“Doesn’t feel pleasant.”

When Ayla and I had been together in person, the chemistry between us flowed naturally. But it ended when that weekend was over. Ithadto end, and we’d both acknowledged that. Logically, I knew it.

But the rest of me just wasn’t listening.

I was all twisted up over Ayla, and I had no idea what to do about it.

I put my phone away. “I’m so fucking out of practice with this kind of thing.”

“What exactly do you want to happen with her?”

I rapped my knuckles on the bar top. “Something that’s…impossible. But I still want it so fucking much.” I’d been cursing a lot more lately too. Probably went without saying.

He nodded slowly. “It kinda sounds like you might be falling for her.”

Oh hell.