She was quiet for a moment.“And now?”Ellie eventually asked.
Dasher stepped closer, resting his hands on the edge of the table, close enough that their fingers nearly touched.
“Now I want to try,” he said.“For real.No running.No excuses.”
Ellie’s breath hitched.He saw it, subtle as it was.Her shoulders softened.
“I’ve changed,” he added.“Not perfect.Still grumpy.Still bad at small talk.But I know what matters now.”He hesitated.
“Youdo,” he finished.“You and Maddy.”
She was silent, but her eyes were shining.Dasher’s pulse roared in his ears.Every instinct told him to back off, give her space, let her speak first, but he didn’t.
Instead, he leaned in just enough to lower his voice and said, “You scare the hell out of me, Ellie.”
She blinked.
“You always have,” he said.“Not because of anything you did.Just ...you see through me.And that’s rare.”
She took a small step forward.The table was still between them, but her fingers brushed his now.A soft, tentative touch.
“You’re afraid of me?”she asked, voice barely above a whisper.
“I’m terrified,” he admitted.
Then he smiled faintly.“But I’m not running.”
Ellie moved around the table.She didn’t rush, didn’t speak.But when she reached him, she stopped just a breath away.Dasher’s heart slammed against his ribs.
“Good,” she murmured.“Because I’m tired of doing this without you.”
His hand found her hip without even thinking.She didn’t flinch, didn’t pull back, and when she tilted her head up, her breath warm against his jaw, he thought he might combust.
“I don’t want to take this too fast,” he said, voice rough.“I know you’ve got Maddy to think about.I’m not asking for everything overnight.”
She reached up and brushed a curl off his forehead.“But you’re asking?”
“I’m asking,” He paused.“For a real shot.”
Ellie’s lips curved.“Well, good.”
He raised an eyebrow.“Yeah?”
“Because I was gonna offer.”
She leaned in then, slow and deliberate.Her hand slid along his jaw, fingertips warm against his scruff, and when her mouth touched his, it was soft at first.Testing.Remembering.
Then it deepened.Heat flared.Familiar and new, all at once.Dasher groaned against her lips, backing her gently against the wall behind the table, caging her in without trapping her.One hand on her waist.The other braced by her head.
She tasted like peppermint and promises.Her fingers curled into his jacket, tugging him closer.If they weren’t in a community hall, if there weren’t still kids in the corner and volunteers cleaning up, he didn’t know how far he would’ve gone.But even now, pressed up against her with heat simmering between them, he knew one thing for sure.This wasn’t just lust.It wasn’t just a second chance.It was home.He pulled back slowly, resting his forehead to hers.
“I’m yours if you want me,” he whispered.
Ellie’s eyes fluttered open.Her cheeks were flushed, her lips kiss-bitten.
“I already do,” she said.
In that moment, Dasher knew whatever came next, however hard or messy or real, it would be worth every damn second.Because Ellie was it for him, and this time, he wasn’t walking away.
