“And it’s been good for me too.”
His brows lifted gently, silently asking me to go on.
I met his gaze head-on. No shrinking. No apologizing for wanting something.
“It’s been great for me,” I said. “I feel like . . . like I can finally see myself here. Not just surviving. But belonging.”
Something flickered in his eyes, surprise, tenderness, a spark of heat that went straight to my heart.
Alex shifted closer, slow and deliberate, as if giving me every opportunity to pull away. When I didn’t, when I leaned in without meaning to, he lifted a hand and cupped my cheek.
His palm was warm. Steady. Reverent.
“Eleanor,” he whispered, voice low and sure, “I see a place here for you too.”
My breath caught.
His thumb brushed my cheekbone. I tilted into it like I’d been waiting my entire life for this exact touch.
“You do?”
“Of course I do. And I’m really sorry about what happened at the show. I think I probably could have handled it differently. I hope it doesn’t make it worse for you.”
I gave a rough chuckle. “I’m sure you did nothing wrong, and I’m equally sure I will hear about it tomorrow at brunch.” I buried my face in my hands. “Gah! Brunch tomorrow with them and Ava. God help me.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
I shot up and looked at him. “No.”
His brow furrowed, “Okay.”
I immediately grabbed his hands. “I mean, yes, I want you there, but I need to deal with this.”
“I get it.”
I reached up and cupped his scruffy cheek. “I really like you, Alex. And I need to fix this before I bring you into it. I hope that makes sense.”
He turned his face and kissed my palm. “It does, I just want you to know I’m here for you.”
“I do. And it helps more than you know.” I leaned over and kissed him.
I found myself wanting to get lost in the kiss, but I had to ask.
“What did Belle say anyway?”
He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well . . . she may have told them that we are getting REALLY friendly. And went on for a good couple of sentences before Mel got her to shut up.”
“Yeah, that sounds about right,” said with a small chuckle as I ran my hand through my hair.
“God, you’re so beautiful,” he said.
“Shut up,” I said, hitting his leg.
“I mean it, you can try and shut me up all you want, but you can’t change the truth.”
And then, because the moment demanded it, because my body screamed for it, because everything in him was calling to me, I closed the space between us and kissed him.
When we finally parted, breath mingling in the small space between us, he rested his forehead against mine. His voice was a quiet rumble.
