“I don’t want to be somewhere that requires that kind of effort just to hold it in place,” she added. “That’s not how I move.”
“It shouldn’t feel like that,” I said.
“It doesn’t have to,” she replied.
Another quiet settled in, deeper this time.
“I don’t think this is about timing,” she said. “I think it’s about alignment.”
I nodded slowly, my gaze dropping briefly before coming back to her.
“Yeah,” I said. “I think you’re right.”
She held my eyes for a moment, then asked it without hesitation. “Your preoccupation has nothing to do with the Archive. It’s Nova. Am I right?”
I leaned back slightly, my hand coming up to rest against the back of my neck, the tension there already familiar.
“I didn’t realize it was that clear,” I said.
“It isn’t,” she replied. “Unless you’re paying attention.”
A small, quiet exhale left me, not quite a laugh. I looked at her again.
“It’s not something I’ve been acting on,” I said.
“I didn’t think it was,” she replied. “That’s not what I’m responding to.”
She shifted slightly, her posture still composed, still steady.
“It’s the way you orient yourself around her,” she continued. “Even when she’s not there.”
“Yeah,” I said.
She nodded once, something settling into place behind her eyes. “I care about you. You’ve been thoughtful. Consistent… special. And I’ve appreciated that.”
“I care about you, too,” I said.
“I know,” she replied. “That’s why this isn’t going to be messy.”
We sat there in that for a moment, neither of us trying to turn it into something it wasn’t. Then she stood, smoothing her hands along her thighs in a small, absent motion. I followed.
At the door, she paused, her hand resting lightly against it before opening it. “I’m glad we didn’t drag this out,” she said.
“Me too.”
She looked at me, steady and clear.
“Whatever this becomes for you,” she added, “just let it be what it is. Don’t try to manage it into something easier.”
I nodded. “I hear you.”
“I know.”
She opened the door and I stepped out into the night, the air cooler now, sharper against my skin.
“Take care of yourself, Deion.”
“You too.”
