He nodded. “I give it two months before someone throws a drink or they get married in Vegas.”
A surprised laugh bubbled out of her before she could stop it. She covered her mouth, cheeks still pink, but it felt… good. Lighter.
His expression shifted— softer again. Reverent, even.
“There she is,” he said, like he’d been holding his breath just to see her smile.
And for one fragile second, she let herself hold his gaze.
Let herself remember how much she used to love him looking at her like that.
Let herself wonder if maybe… he never really stopped.
Ali hesitated, chewing the inside of her cheek.
“Can I ask you something?”
Dylan nodded. “Always.”
She looked down again, picking at a loose thread near her knee. “Did I… completely screw everything up?”
“What do you mean?”
“Like you know,” she said quietly. “Back there. I shouldn’t have— I just… I didn’t know you’d follow me, and I freaked, and then you were you, and then it happened, and I ran, and—”
“Ali.”
His voice stopped her. Steady. Sure.
“You didn’t screw anything up.”
Her eyes flicked to his again, uncertain. “You’re not… seeing anyone?”
He shook his head. “No. There’s no one.”
She exhaled, tension loosening from her shoulders.
“And you?” he asked, casually at first. But his tone sharpened just slightly, revealing the truth under it. “Are you dating that guy you were with?”
She blinked. “What guy?”
“The Thor-looking motherfucker who held your arm all night.”
She burst out laughing, caught so off guard she actually snorted.
“Jason?” she wheezed. “He’s married to Ashley’s brother. Lanier? He was in your grade in school. He was literally just keeping me grounded. Ash was worried about me coming tonight. We’re all junior partners at Whitestone. I mean me and the group I’m with. We’re all coworkers.”
Dylan let out a relieved breath, shaking his head with a sheepish smile. “Well, good. I didn’t like him.”
“You don’t know him.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
Ali laughed again, this time softer, and nudged his knee with hers. “You really thought I was dating Thor?”
He grinned, his voice low. “Jealousy’s a hell of a thing.”
She smiled at that. A real one. And for the first time in a decade, it didn’t ache.
