I glance at Benji.
He glances at me.
There’s a beat.
A moment.
Where everything hangs.
And then—something clicks.
Like maybe it’s fate.
“Come on,” I say, shrugging like it’s nothing. “It’s no big deal. We’re adults.”
The second the words leave my mouth, I feel it.
A change in the atmosphere between us.
An awareness.
His gaze is on me.
Heavy.
Measuring.
“Yeah,” he says slowly. “That we are.”
And the way he says it?
Low.
Rough.
Like there’s a whole lot more behind those words than he’s letting on.
My pulse kicks up faster. Harder.
But I don’t take it back.
Because if I start backing down now—if I start pretending I don’t feel this thing between us—then what was the point of coming here at all?
I wanted to lay my old demons to rest.
To start living my life and aiming towards a future.
So maybe this is how I do that.
I lift my chin.
Meet his gaze.
And smile just a little.
“Good,” I say. “Then let’s get some sleep.”
Even if I have a feeling—sleep might be the last thing either of us gets tonight.
