She watches me carefully as I approach, and for a second, there’s something unguarded in her expression before it immediately smooths over.
“Hey,” she says softly.
Her smoky, charcoal-lined eyes survey the room, taking in every detail. She’s looking everywhere but my face. If I didn’t already know her better, I’d wonder if she was just shy.
“Hey.”
I stop just short of reaching her.
And then there’s that moment.
The one where neither of us is quite sure what to do.
Six months ago, this wouldn’t have been a question. I’d wrap her in a tight embrace and kiss those glossy lips until they’re swollen and bright pink.
Now, I step forward first, pulling her into a hug before I can overthink it. One of us has to break the tension. I don’t mind being the one to cross the line.
She folds into me easily, arms wrapping around my back, but there’s a hesitation in it. A slight delay that wasn’t there before.
I notice everything as she’s pressed against me.
The smooth fabric of her dress under my hands.
The familiar scent of her—something citrusy, something sweet that hits me all at once like muscle memory. I breathe her in before I can stop myself.
“Hi,” she murmurs against my chest.
“You came.”
We don’t let go right away, and I wonder if she’s being sucked back through time and space to every shared moment back in LA like I am.
I step back just enough to look at her, taking her in properly this time.
“You look…” I trail off, shaking my head like I can physically disrupt the million different thoughts running through my head. “Different.”
“Good different or bad different?” Her lips curve into a small smile.
“Good,” I say immediately, eyes wide, afraid I might have offended her. “Just… different.”
She huffs out a quiet laugh. “I’ll take it.”
A beat passes between us, both of us just taking the other in. I want to kiss her so bad it hurts. To take her in my arms and erase all the distance that’s grown between us.
The thought hits hard and fast, instinctive in a way that makes my fingers twitch at my sides. But I don’t move toward her, because I don’t know if I can. I don’t know where we stand. I don’t know if shewantsme to.
“Shall we?”
Her brows lift, glancing around the otherwise empty room. “Where’s everyone else?”
I clear my throat, not wanting to explain the invitation I slid into her door had an earlier time printed on it than everyone else. “I wanted to show you around before everyone gets here.”
“Okay.” She falls into step beside me, and for a second, it feels almost normal.Almost.
We start in the dining room.
It’s the easiest place to begin. Neutral ground in a way we desperately need right now. Something I can talk about without overthinking every word because it’s just furniture and aesthetics.
“This is the main dining floor,” I say, gesturing around us. “Seating’s a mix of tables and booths. We kept it open so it doesn’t feel cramped, even when it’s full. We also have a private dining space upstairs we’ll eventually use for hosting small events, but right now it’s being used as a makeshift training room.”
