Fallon raised an eyebrow. “I never said she had to. Just thought she might want to. Unless you’re speaking for her now?”
Lincoln’s gaze shifted to mine, and for a heartbeat, the noise faded again. He didn’t say a word, but I could feel the question humming between us, heavy and electric.
I forced a laugh. “Maybe later. For now, I’m good right here.”
Fallon’s grin turned knowing, but she let it go, steering the conversation back to who was brave enough for karaoke. The others followed, the tension bleeding away, but under the surface, that spark kept burning.
Lincoln stayed beside me, silent, solid, radiating heat like a furnace. Every time his shoulder brushed mine, every time his breath caught close to my ear, I felt it. The weight of the kiss, everything we hadn’t said.
The night blurred. Fallon did get her karaoke, dragging Elle and Lexie up with her to belt out something twangy while Ryder and Nash hollered encouragement. Kipp and Nora danced in the open space between tables, his big hands steady on her waist asshe laughed up at him. Even Griffin gave in and let Elle spin him around once before retreating with his beer.
And me? I sat beside Lincoln, trying not to combust. The bar was too hot, too loud, too full of everything I didn’t have words for.
I slid out of the booth, setting my empty glass on the table. “Air,” I muttered. “Back in a minute.”
Fallon smirked, and Elle just arched a brow, but neither said a word as I pushed through the crowd.
Outside, the night hit me like a balm. Cool, sharp air carrying the faint scent of hay and distant wood smoke. I leaned against the railing, letting my heartbeat slow, the hum of music muffled behind me.
The door creaked open.
I didn’t have to turn to know it was him. I could feel it—the shift in the air, that quiet gravity that always came with him.
“You okay?” His voice was low, rough, threaded with concern.
“I’m fine,” I said too fast.
He came to stand beside me, close enough that his arm brushed mine when he leaned on the rail. “You sure?”
I laughed softly, bitter and tired. “You do that thing, you know. Like you’re responsible for every breath I take.”
He turned his head, eyes sharp in the dim light. “Maybe I am.”
The words slid straight through me, knocking the air from my lungs. “Lincoln.”
He moved, just a little closer, his hand lifting like he might touch me. At the last second, he curled it into a fist and let it fall again. The air between us pulsed, thick with everything we weren’t saying.
One more inch and I would’ve leaned in.
Then the door banged open, laughter spilling into the night.
“Well, well,” Fallon called, her voice full of delight. The rest of them followed her out, Ryder with a beer in each hand, Lexie tugging his sleeve, Nash shaking his head like he’d known exactly what was happening.
Fallon’s grin was pure mischief. “Guess we don’t need to wonder where you two disappeared to.”
Heat rushed up my neck. “We weren’t, I just needed air.”
“Sure,” Ryder said. “You two were just stargazing?”
Elle looped her arm through Fallon’s, her smile soft. “Don’t tease them too hard.”
“Why not?” Fallon laughed. “It’s about damn time somebody shook things up around here.”
Nora caught my eye, gave me a quick wink, and Kipp just looked between me and Lincoln like he was calculating odds.
Linc didn’t say a word. He stood beside me, jaw tight, letting the noise wash over us like it didn’t touch him. But I saw it, the flicker in his eyes, the tension in his shoulders.
And I felt it too. The thin, electric thread between us stretched to breaking.
