I wiped down the counter slower than I needed to, dragging the rag across the same clean spot twice while my mind went in circles.Things had been… off between Swift and me, and I couldn’t decide if it was my fault or not.
He’d pulled back.
Not completely.He was still there.Still watching me.Still hovering just enough that I knew if I tripped, breathed wrong, or blinked too slowly, he’d be at my side in a second.
But something had shifted.Something quiet.Something that made the air between us feel tighter than before.
Maybe I’d pushed too far, and maybe I’d crossed a line when I told him change didn’t seem so scary anymore.
Maybe… I blew out a breath and dropped the rag onto the counter.“Stop it,” I muttered to myself.
Tempi glanced up from where she was restocking bottles.“Stop what?”
“Overthinking everything,” I said.
She smirked.“Good luck with that.”
Before I could respond, she pointed toward the back.“I’m running to the bathroom.Don’t burn the place down while I’m gone.”
“No promises,” I called after her.The door swung shut behind her, leaving just me and him.
I didn’t have to look to know where Swift was; I could feel him.He was by the wall near the edge of the bar, watching everything like always.
Watching me.
I swallowed and grabbed the rag again, pretending like I was suddenly very invested in cleaning.“I’m gonna go get the cleanser from the storeroom,” I called.
He didn’t answer.
He didn’t need to.
I could feel his attention follow me as I turned and headed toward the back.
The storeroom was a disaster.Boxes stacked everywhere.Bottles shoved onto shelves wherever they fit.Things that had been pulled from the main bar during repairs now crammed into every available inch of space.
I stepped carefully around a crate and scanned the shelves.
“Where the hell…” I muttered.
Then I saw it on the top shelf.Of course it was.
I sighed and stepped closer, stretching up onto my toes and reaching for it.
Almost there, just a little more.
“What the hell are you doing?”
I gasped.The voice came out of nowhere, sharp, right behind me, and it startled me enough that my balance went completely off.
My foot slipped, my shoulder twinged, and suddenly I was falling, but I didn’t hit the ground.Strong arms caught me mid-drop, hauling me back against something solid and warm before I could even process what was happening.My breath left me in a rush.
And when I looked up, it was Swift.
His face was right there, close to mine.
Too close.
His eyes were dark, stormy, locked on mine like he was trying to make sure I was still in one piece.For a split second, I thought it was anger, but then I saw it.
