“I forgive you for ghosting me,” she says, a small laugh escaping her, light but fragile. It pulls one from me, too, tangled with relief and regret.
I stay quiet, letting her have the floor. I want her to get every word out, every thought she’s held back. I know we won’t get a quiet moment alone like this again, and if this is where we finally lay it all out, I’m not wasting a second of it by interrupting.
“But…” She exhales slowly, eyes darting down to where our hands still touch. “I’m not all in, and I don’t want you waiting for me. I need to find myself without you. I need to be the Madison I’ve always been, not the version that uses you as a crutch. I’m not saying we can’t be friends, or that I don’t want to talk or hang out. I just…” She pauses, her eyes meeting mine again. “I can’t do the late-night drives, the sneaking around, the touches. I can’t do that anymore.”
She’s asking me not to wait for her, but how the hell am I supposed to do that? Every part of me already belongs to her. I’ll wait. For as long as it takes. I’ll show her who I can be. Prove to her that I’ll stand beside her, not in front of her. The man who’ll fight like hell to deserve her. I’ll give her everything I’ve got. I can be a patient man.
The silence surrounding us is thick and heavy, weighing us down. It ripples with all the words neither of us is saying. My pulse kicks in my throat as my thumb slides under herchin. I tilt her face up until our eyes lock.Fuck, I love her eyes. For a second, time stills. My gaze roams over her features, slow and deliberate, burning them into my memory. The curve of her lips, her full cheeks, the arches of her brows. If this is all I get for now, I’m going to make damn sure I remember every inch of her.
“I’ll give you your time, baby girl,” I say softly, the words strained. Her breath catches at the nickname, the one I’ve always used in private just for her. “I need you to know I want the whole world for you. If being your friend is all I get, then so be it.”
Her eyes shine in the low light. “I’d like that. I want to stay friends. I just need my space to be me again without the pressure of you waiting. Please.”
Hearing the wordpleasefall from her lips does me in. I’ll give this girl anything she asks for. She has no idea how easy it is for her to undo me.
“So it’s settled,” I say, forcing a half smile. “We’re staying friends.”
The tension between us intensifies as if the universe itself is holding its breath. This isn’t the end, it’s the calm before the inevitable.
“Friends,” she whispers.
I push up from my stool, the wood scraping against the floor, and step into her space. My hands find her face, palms warm against her soft skin, thumbs brushing slow circles along her cheeks. “Friends,” I hum, my eyes bouncing between hers, “when we walk out of here.”
Her chin tips up, lips parting just enough for her tongue to sweep across the bottom one, and I’m gone. Every bit of control I’ve been clinging to slips through me as I unravel. The emotion between us cackles, the air coming alive with sparking electricity. Heat pools low in my stomach,spreading through me like a wildfire. My hands slide into her hair, fingers threading through the soft, wavy strands, tugging her close enough to feel her breath mingle with mine. When her quiet sigh spills against my lips, I lean in, capturing the sound with my mouth, pressing into her like I’ve been starved.
She melts into me. A low growl breaks free as the taste of her floods my senses. Her hands wind around my neck, fingers digging into my skin, and before I can stop myself, I’m lifting her from the stool. Her legs wrap around my waist like they were made to fit there. I spin, carefully setting her on the bar as I break the kiss long enough to breathe her in. Our foreheads rest together, hearts beating in sync, when I lean back in for another. We don’t rush. We move slowly, knowing this is the last…
A promise. A confession. A silentI’ll wait anyway.
11
HI FRIEND
MADISON
The warm sweetness of baked goods hits my nose first, mixing with the rich, bitter aroma of fresh coffee, when I step through the door at Sunlit Espresso. The soft yellow light filters through the hanging greenery and catches on the glass display case in front of me, making every sweet and savory pastry gleam. My stomach growls, and I can’t help but lean in closer, my eyes going straight to the dusting of powdered sugar on the blueberry muffins that promise heaven in a bite. The quiet chatter of the locals blends with the hiss of the espresso machine. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Tessa making her way over, tying her apron around her neck, her smile bright and welcoming.
“Hey, sweetcheeks. What are you doing here so early?” she calls out.
Her name badge catches the light—Honey. I snicker under my breath.I can’t believe she still wears that after all these years of running this place.
“I’m going to head over to the hospital and surprise the kids with a visit. Thought I’d stop in for a coffee first andgrab some muffins for the nurses and Mom while I’m at it.”
Her brows lift a little, like she’s trying to work out if I’m being serious or not. I don’t blame her. It’s been months since I’ve gone. The girls know how much I love volunteering at the hospital, how those kids could brighten the darkest of days, but lately… I’ve let the visits slip. Every time I thought about walking through those halls again, something in my chest tightened. How could I show up with a smile when I could barely hold myself together? Still, I miss their smiles, their tiny hands tugging at mine, their faces lighting up like I’m someone special. I think, after everything, I need them as much as they need me.
“Are you feeling up to it today?” she asks gently. “It’s been a while.”
“I am. I think I’ve spent enough time wallowing. It’s time I get back into life and stop letting all the drama from the last few months drag me down.”
Tessa’s smile hits me straight in the heart, and my lips curve.
“It’s about time. I was starting to wonder if I had to go beat Hunter’s ass just to get you to smile.”
Laughter bubbles out of me before I can stop it. She’s not bluffing. Tessa is sugar and fire, sweet as anything, but try her friends, and she’ll bite. Her heart is so big and beautiful.
“No ass-beating necessary,” I say, pointing to the blueberry muffin at the front of the plate. “Can I have that one, pretty please?” I bat my lashes at her, knowing full well she hates it when people ask for the front muffins.
“Only because you asked so nicely,” she says, her tone dripping with fake sweetness. “Go sit down, and I’ll bring these over to you with a to-go coffee.”
