Another tear follows, trailing down her cheek.
“I’m not used to… this,” Gwen says, gesturing around the store before pointing at me. “Thank you for being so nice to me.”
It pains me to think she’s been hurt before. The way she reacts to basic kindness makes it seem like it’s rare for her.
“I love this song,” I say as Kacey Musgraves begins playing through the speakers.
“You like Kacey Musgraves?” Gwen asks, surprised.
“Not really,” I admit, taking a step closer. “But Butterflies was the first song I heard after we met on the ice. I’ve been listening to it ever since.”
“Are you from a movie or a book or something?” Gwen chuckles. “This feels unreal,” she adds with a soft sigh.
Slowly, I close the distance between us and place my hand on her cheek. She doesn’t pull away. That’s all the encouragement I need.
I lean in, catching the soft scent of her perfume, vanilla. It lingers, pulling at me. The warmth of her body meets mine as I close my eyes and gently press my lips to hers.
“Does it feel real now?” I ask quietly when I pull back and meet her eyes.
“Not at all,” she laughs.
I lean in again and kiss her once more. I could stay here all night, lost in her, but I don’t want to overstep Wendy’s kindness.
“Care to go book shopping, Ms. Sassypants?” I ask.
Gwen laughs and shakes her head. “Definitely.”
She heads straight for the dark romance section, moving like she already knows the place by heart. I watch her in quiet awe, impressed by how certain she is, how effortlessly she knows what she wants. She pulls out three books and holds them against her side.
“Don’t you want a book?” she asks when she notices me watching her.
“Only if you wrote it,” I reply.
I immediately regret how soft that sounds, but with her, I can’t help it.
Gwen laughs and rolls her eyes. In her mind, she’s probably calling me something like “dummy” or “nerd,” and I wouldn’t even blame her.
She browses for about ten more minutes before walking up to the counter.
“I can’t believe this is a signed copy. Rina Kent actually touched this. Can you believe that?” she asks, staring at the book in awe.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“How do I pay for the books?” she asks, glancing around the store as if expecting an employee to appear.
“I asked Wendy to send me a bill afterward. I told her I’d take a picture of the books you chose so she could ring them up later,” I explain. “She also said she predicted you’d pick out eleven books.”
I chuckle.
“I already think these four are too much,” Gwen says shyly, looking down at the stack on the counter. I quickly snap a photo of them.
“Definitely not. Just buy me a pastry next time I’m at Sunrise & Salt,” I joke.
“That’s not fair, I get an employee discount there,” she shoots back, making me laugh.
She really is something.
“I’m really happy you found books you like,” I say, stepping a little closer. I want to kiss her again, but I hold back, not wanting to rush her.
