A lot of classics.
Some action flicks.
A few guilty-pleasure romcoms from Kelly. I’m thumbing through them now, hoping maybe something will catch Willow’s eye.
The house smells like cedar and firewood, and the logs I stacked earlier are crackling in the hearth.
Golden light spills across the room, hitting her skin, and I swear to God she glows.
I want this to feel like home for her.
I want her to feel safe here.
God, I want her to stay.
Please stay.
I don’t realize I’m holding my breath until she steps into the room fully and our eyes meet.
“Hey,” I say softly, pushing off the shelf and walking toward her. I open my arms without thinking. “Come here. What’s wrong?”
She hesitates.
Just for a second.
But I catch it. Feel it.
Then she moves into me, curling against my chest like she belongs there.
And the breath I let out is more than a sigh—it’s a goddamn release.
Like a tightrope in my chest just snapped loose.
She smells like soap and something sugary-sweet. The same bubblegum scent that always drives me wild.
But something’s off.
I can feel it in the way she holds herself—like she’s bracing.
She pulls back just a bit, her cheeks flushed.
“Um, shit. This is embarrassing.”
I frown instantly, shaking my head.
“Nothing you could say to me would embarrass me, and it shouldn’t embarrass you, Baby Girl. Now, talk to me.”
She hesitates, chewing on her lip. That same damn lip I’ve kissed a hundred times and still can’t stop thinking about.
She finally lets out a breath. “Fine. It’s just… I got my period.”
I blink.
Okay.
Not what I was expecting, but also? Not a problem.
She pushes forward quickly, like she thinks I’m going to bolt.
