Not desperate.
A promise he’s not sure he’s ready to make.
He pulls back slowly.
“Go to bed, Tessa.”
My stomach drops. “That’s your answer?”
“For tonight.” I swallow the hurt.
“I won’t be your almost,” I repeat.
His gaze softens in a way that makes my chest ache.
“You won’t be,” he says quietly.
Then he steps away. I stand there alone in the kitchen, heart racing, lips still tingling. Tears burning behind my eyes.
Chapter 9
Sawyer
Idon’t lose control.
That’s the lie I’ve built my life on.
At the firehouse, I’m steady. Focused. The one who moves through smoke like it’s weather instead of chaos. At home, I run schedules, pack lunches, make sure Lacee’s homework is done before dinner. I don’t let things unravel.
But tonight I’m standing on my own porch, knuckles braced against the railing, and I feel split open.
The mountains are quiet. The sky is a deep indigo wash, stars sharp enough to cut. The air smells like pine and summer heat cooling off.
Inside, I can hear Tessa laughing softly with Lacee as they finish cleaning up after movie night.
That sound.
Hearing inside this house still shocks me.
The door creaks open behind me.
“You’re brooding,” Tessa says.
I don’t turn right away. “I don’t brood.”
“You absolutely brood.”
She steps up beside me, bare feet silent on the wood. She’s wearing one of my old firehouse shirts again. It swallows her. The hem brushes her thighs.
My jaw tightens.
“You should stop stealing my clothes.”
She glances down at herself. “I asked.”
“You asked while already wearing it.”
She smiles. “You didn’t tell me to take it off.”
