The clock ticked softly on the wall.The hum of the refrigerator.The kind of ordinary sounds that made the moment heavier instead of lighter.
Creed stepped forward—just one step—then stopped.
His gaze drifted upstairs.
I followed his eyes.“They wore themselves out today,” I said quietly.“They’ll sleep through the night.”
Something flickered across his face.Relief.Or regret.Or both.“I know,” he said.And then, softer, almost to himself, “They always do after the rink.”
Notthey had fun.
They always do.
Like he was already filing the memory somewhere permanent.
He caught himself a second later.Straightened.Adjusted his grip on the jacket.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.
It wasn’t a promise dressed up as romance.It was careful.Real.
I met his eyes then.“You don’t have to make tonight mean anything more than it already does.”
His mouth curved slightly.Not a smile—acknowledgment.
“That’s what scares me,” he said quietly.
Then he leaned in, pressed a kiss to my forehead.When he left, the door closed softly behind him.
I stood there for a long moment afterward, listening to the house breathe.
Not feeling abandoned.
Just...paused.
Chapter 14
