I watched the chaos all from the edge of the room, hands full but mind elsewhere.
Oliver caught my eye while carrying a table toward the door. He tipped his chin slightly, the silentyou okay?we’d perfected over years of shared trenches. I nodded once, even though my thoughts were already drifting back to Booth’s voice, to the worddocumentation, to the idea that Nat might’ve written more down somewhere and never told anyone.
I hated that my parents had turned grief into a strategy session.
I hated even more that I had to think like this now, not when Em was close to achieving her dream. I didn’t want my shit-show life to take a thing away from her.
Still, the work kept moving. Muscles and teamwork had a way of simplifying things. Boxes got stacked. Furniture disappeared. Sweat darkened collars. Callum cracked a joke every time someone nearly dropped something, then immediately jumped in to help like he couldn’t stand not being useful.
By the time the last table was loaded into a truck, the apartment looked hollow. Bigger. Like it was waiting.
Em stood in the doorway for a second, eyes scanning the empty space, something unreadable passing over her face. I stepped up beside her, close but not touching, letting her have the moment without crowding it. “You’re gonna have your own shop, Em. You.”
She swallowed, her stunning eyes shining with emotion as I smiled down at her. “Noah, this is…”
“Happening.” I cupped her face, fighting the urge to kiss her, but we hadn’t talked about that yet. What we were, what we meant. That didn’t matter right now. Em did. “This is happening because of you.”
A tear fell down her cheek, and I wiped it.
Noise rushed back in as the guys filtered past us, hauling the last of the tables and bins down the hall. I stepped aside automatically, hand brushing the small of Em’s back in a way that felt instinctive now, protective without being possessive. She didn’t flinch or tense. She leaned into it for half a second like she needed the reminder that I was still there.
Daniel cleared his throat loudly behind us. “Okay,” he said, clapping his hands together once. “Moment over. We have a truck to follow and a future to unpack.”
Em laughed shakily, wiping at her face and rolling her shoulders like she was bracing herself. “Right. Yeah. Let’s—let’s go see it.”
The drive was short, quiet in the way that meant no one trusted their voice yet. Daniel sat in the back seat with his phone in his hands, thumbs moving fast as he coordinated keys and access codes. Em stared out the window, knee bouncing, fingers twisting together in her lap. I kept my eyes on the road, but my attention stayed on her, the way her breathing went shallow every time we stopped at a light.
The storefront was smaller than I’d imagined, but it was clean. Brick exterior. Big front windows that let the afternoon light pour in without apology. Theo’s car was already parked out front, hazard lights blinking, and Audrey stood on the sidewalk with her arms crossed like she was guarding the place.
Em stopped walking.
She stood there on the curb, staring at the space like it mightdisappear if she blinked too hard. I slowed with her, not touching, giving her room to feel whatever was crashing through her.
“This is it,” Daniel said softly, like he was afraid of breaking something. “Eight-minute walk. You can see the L stop from the corner. Delivery access in the back.”
Theo jingled the keys once and held them out. “Six months,” he repeated. “No pressure. You hate it, we change course.”
Em didn’t take them right away. Her mouth opened, then closed. She nodded once, sharply, and finally stepped forward to grab the keys with both hands. Then, without a word, she walked over to Theo, arms wide open, and he pulled her into his chest. They hugged hard, and my mind instantly thought of Nat.
God, she’d love Em and these clothes. She’d love Daniel and Em’s family and the guys…my throat tightened, and I focused on the storefront instead of Theo and Em talking.
Inside, the space smelled like dust and fresh paint. Bare walls. Concrete floors. Nothing glamorous. But the light—God, the light—hit the floor in wide, bright rectangles, and it was perfect. “Damn, Theo did good.”
“This is a great location.” Oliver stood next to me, nodding. “Nice area. Easy access to the L and for parking.” He pointed toward the public parking lot a block away. “Not sure her goals yet, but if she wants this to be a place people visit to purchase, she could.”
“I think she’s figuring out what she wants.”
“Proud of you for asking for help, Abbott.”
“You’re one to talk.” I scoffed but laughed because he was the epitome of suffering in silence. “But yeah, I’m glad I did too. Easier when it’s for someone other than yourself.”
“I get it.” Oliver faced me, eyebrow arched. “You do seem better though. Since Nat died, you stopped smiling. You’ve definitely done that more the last few weeks.”
I shoved my hands in my pockets, rocking on my heels. “Em has been good for Miles and me. Plus, Sassy? So fun.”
“I can see that. Is the plan still to have her move out once her apartment is fixed?”
“Fuck.” I scrubbed a hand over my face. I had another month with her, but then what? The shop was close to my place. We were still figuring what we were. “I don’t want her to leave, but we’re new. Can’t ask someone to move in with you after a month.”
