The scent of almond and butter hung in the air, deceptively light, like it didn’t carry weight. But it did. The cookies. The note.
James just showing up, even after how many times I brushed him off. Hell, after how many times I’ve practically growled in his direction.
And yet he kept trying.
My bear stirred in my chest, restless. Not angry, but hopeful. Like he could sense something worth holding onto. Someone.
I hated how right Beau was. Again.
Because if I didn’t do something soon, if I didn’t pull my head out of my own ass and start meeting James halfway, he was going to stop trying.
And I wouldn’t blame him.
No one wants to keep knocking on a closed door forever. Not even someone as annoyingly persistent as James.
At some point, even he’d get tired of being shut out. And once he walked away… I had a feeling that’d be it. Not just losing a flirt or a crush.
Losing something that could’ve been real, and that? That terrified me more than anything.
Chapter 5
James
I staredat the numbers printed on my paycheck, the same ones I saw every month. Nothing surprising. Nothing new.
Just the usual reminder of how tightly the world could keep its boot on your throat without crushing you all at once.
Just pressing, pressing, pressing until you forgot what it felt like to breathe without effort.
My thumb hovered over the calculator app on my phone. I shouldn’t do it. I already knew what the math would say. But the need to see it anyway overpowered reason.
Rent. Utilities. Loan payment to Avery.
The screen blinked back at me with a total that made my stomach curl. I felt that quiet, sinking dread settle in my chest again. I wouldn’t starve. Not technically. But it was another ramen month.
Another stretch of evenings pretending hot water and seasoning packets were fine dining. Another test of how many ways I could dress up instant noodles before losing my mind.
And the worst part? I was used to it.
"Hey, we’re hitting the bar after close,” Cyrus said, popping his head into the back with that easy, golden grin of his. “You in?”
I glanced up, smiled like my heart wasn’t hanging by a thread. “Think I’ll sit this one out.”
Again.
Cyrus tilted his head. “You sure? You’ve skipped the last few. You good?”
“Just tired,” I lied. “Long shift. I need a shower and like… six hours of sleep.”
He didn’t look convinced, but nodded. “Your loss. Rowan’s buying the first round.”
I chuckled weakly and shoved the paycheck into my pocket. It felt like a cruel joke. I worked full-time in a bakery that made thousands a month in sugar and butter, and I couldn’t afford a decent dinner.
Callum was near the front, finishing up the day’s receipts. When he saw me moving for the door, his gaze sharpened.
“James.”
I stiffened. “Yeah?”
