I turned toward the kitchen, trying to act normal, trying not to stare at the way she looked in my shirt with her bare legs, messy hair, soft eyes still adjusting to the light.
Breakfast. I needed to focus on breakfast. Eggs. Toast. Coffee. Something. Except… the second I turned around, I almost ran straight into her. She was right there, barely a few inches away, holding Honey against her chest. Her eyes widened at the same time mine did, and I had to step back to avoid bumping right into her.
“Careful,” I murmured, catching the edge of the counter with one hand.
She blinked, cheeks pink, mumbling a quiet, “Sorry.”
And I couldn’t help it. The smirk came naturally, automatic. “You usually sit over there,” I said, nodding toward her usual spot on the counter. “Didn’t realise you wanted to shadow me now.”
Her mouth fell open just slightly, and she swatted my arm with her free hand. “I didn’t—I wasn’t—”
“Sure you weren’t,” I teased, leaning down just enough for our eyes to meet. “Missed me that much already?”
She blinked before turning away to hide her smile, pretending to fuss with Honey instead.
“Missed Honey,” she said, voice soft but playful.
“Right,” I muttered, pretending to focus on the frying pan but feeling that stupid grin tug at the corner of my mouth.
Because the truth was, she had missedme.
And even if she wouldn’t admit it yet, her being here, following close behind me, wearing my shirt, holdingourkitten was proof enough.
Before she could move away, before she could pretend she didn’t just follow me like a magnet, I leaned down, just enough to press a slow, quiet kiss against her lips. It wasn’t rushed, wasn’t the desperate kind like last night. It was soft. Careful. A simple brush of my lips against hers, gentle enough to make her freeze mid-breath.
When I pulled back, she blinked up at me, eyes wide and a little dazed, Honey still squished between us like a confused spectator.
“Well, I missedyou,” I said simply, voice lower than I meant it to be, then turned toward the stove before I could lose whatever composure I had left.
I could feel her still standing there behind me, hand hovering near her lips, probably trying to process what just happened. And I couldn’t stop the small, satisfied smile tugging at my mouth.
Because yeah, I kissed her last night, more than kissed her, but this was different. This was the kind of kiss I’d always wanted to give her. The kind you didn’t have to think twice about. The kind that didn’t come with apologies or hesitation.
Just… a kiss.
Because I could.
Because she was mine now.
She finally sat down at the counter, Honey curling up in her lap like a little ball of fur. The kitten purred so loudly it filled the silence between us, the kind of silence that didn’t ache anymore.
I flipped the eggs onto a plate, slid one toward her, and leaned against the counter beside the stove. For a moment, I just watched her. The way she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the way my shirt hung off her shoulder, the faint flush that still hadn’t faded since I kissed her.
Then, without thinking, I asked quietly,
“What made you come back? Why a random Tuesday?”
She blinked, glancing up from the plate. Her fingers toyed with Honey’s tiny paw, like she needed something to fidget with before answering.
“Alex told me to chase,” she murmured. “Aly too.”
My chest tightened at their names, the people who pushed me away yet brought her back to me.
“They—" She paused, cheeks heating as she looked down again. “…they said to be shameless.”
I raised an eyebrow, trying not to smile. “Shameless, huh?”
She nodded, still not meeting my eyes. “I couldn’t wait anymore,” she admitted, voice small. “I kept waiting for you to come back, but you didn’t, and I couldn’t sleep. I—” She exhaled, frustrated at herself, “it’s embarrassing, but I was desperate to have you back. I just… wanted you.”
