I wasn’t planning on confronting him. Not because I didn’t want to, but because the thought of scaring him, of making him feel cornered, churned my stomach.
He was skittish enough already, looking over his shoulder half the time like he expected his past to come clawing through the door. So I tried something different.
I walked around the counter slowly, towel still in hand, and met him halfway. His steps faltered slightly when he saw I was coming toward him.
“Hey,” I said, voice low. “You alright?”
Sean blinked like I’d surprised him just by asking.
“Yeah,” he said too fast. “Just… needed air. Long day.”
“Mm.” I nodded, letting the moment stretch between us before I said, “Rafael mentioned someone stopped by.”
He stiffened. Just a flicker, but I felt it like a jolt.
A heartbeat of silence passed before he said, “Some guy? I didn’t really see him. Maybe he was just mistaken.”
His voice was too calm. Too smooth. And it killed me, because I could tell he was lying. Just like I could tell he was scared.
Something in me surged. A guttural, protective growl I had to choke back before it reached my throat.
My bear hated this, hated the idea of someone sniffing around Sean’s trail, stirring up whatever pain had driven him here in the first place.
But worse than that… was the flicker of fear in Sean’s eyes when he saw the change in my face.
He was bracing for it. Like he thought I’d blow up. Like he thought I’d be mad. And that stung. Because I never wanted to be someone he feared.
So I breathed deep, forced my shoulders loose, and softened my tone.
“Okay,” I said gently. “If that’s what you say… then I’ll take your word for it. For now.”
His eyes widened slightly. Like he didn’t expect that answer. Like I’d just pulled the floor out from under him and offered a soft landing instead.
“You will?” he asked, barely above a whisper.
“I told you,” I said, voice steady. “I’d wait.”
His lips parted, like he didn’t know what to say to that. Like no one had ever said that to him before.
We stood there in the middle of the bakery, cinnamon and cardamom in the air between us.
I swear, the entire world felt like it narrowed to that one, taut line of silence stretching between his heart and mine. Then his shoulders shifted, something loosening in his chest.
And, softer now, he said, “Are you still up for that coffee?”
I swear I forgot how to breathe for half a second. I smiled, slow and warm, real in a way I hadn’t felt in days.
“Of course I am,” I said. “Been looking forward to it.”
His smile came a second later. It was shy, unsure, but there. And it hit me like sunlight through storm clouds.
He didn’t say anything else. Neither did I. We just stood there, the shop quiet around us, the hum of the ovens in the background, and something unspoken settling in between us like a promise.
Sean turned to head into the kitchen, but just before he disappeared through the swinging door, he glanced back. Our eyes met again. This time, he didn’t look afraid.
Whatever Sean was running from, whoever that man was, Sean came back. He chose to stay.
I stared at my closet like it had personally offended me. Shirts. Too many shirts. Too many colors. Nothing looked right. Everything suddenly felt wrong.
