They stay there.
She lifts one hand and brushes her knuckles lightly along my jaw. Then she smiles. "We should probably keep walking."
My jaw tightens. I lean a little closer.
"I was thinking a very passionate kiss might be the right move."
I continue to close the distance
Then press a soft, quick kiss to her lips.
When I pull back, I look at her for a second. Then my eyes drop to her mouth again.
She lets out a small breath.
I raise an eyebrow—playful, but my voice stays low.
"But yeah. Walking is probably a good idea."
I release her waist. Slowly. But I keep hold of her hand.
For a second neither of us moves.
Then we start walking again.
Her fingers stay wrapped around mine. My thumb moves across the back of her hand. Once. Then again.
Neither of us says anything for half a block.
Chapter forty-eight
Sam
"Did you pin your acceptance letter to the wall yet?"
Liv’s voice cuts through the steam rising from my latte. I set the cup down too fast and coffee sloshes over the rim onto the saucer.
"I—no, I haven't."
Priya leans forward, tearing a corner off her croissant with one hand while the other taps the table in a rapid staccato. "Sam. It's been a week."
"I've been busy."
"Doing what?" Nadia doesn't look up from her phone. Her thumb scrolls methodically through what looks like a spreadsheet. "You already submitted the portfolio. The exhibition opens Friday. What's left to be busy with?"
Friday. Eleven days until the Architectural League opens their doors and my work goes on display in front of press, judges, and donors.
I reach for my coffee.
"Final logistics," I say. "Making sure the display boards are mounted right. Confirming the lighting doesn't wash out the renderings. Checking that the layout flows the way I want it to."
Liv sips her tea, watching me over the rim. "You already did all of that."
"I'm double-checking."
I open my mouth to argue. Nadia's phone buzzes. She glances at the screen, then back at me.
She sets the phone down, screen facing me. "Stop treating this like a crisis and start treating it like a win."
