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Her gaze softened as she moved into him. “I thought maybe we could forget about everything else for a little while.”

That sounded like exactly what he needed.

Reece pulled her close, kissing her slowly, letting the rest of the night fade away piece by piece.

And for now—for tonight—that was enough.

nine

Alesha hadn’t meant to say any of it.

Not about moving back, not about the bookstore, and definitely not about wondering if what was happening between her and Reece was real…or merely the product of timing and nostalgia. And now she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Lying in Reece’s bed, staring up at the ceiling, she replayed their earlier conversation over and over in her head.

He hadn’t argued. Hadn’t pushed. Hadn’t tried to convince her one way or the other. He’d just…listened.

And somehow, that made everything feel even bigger.

Because if he had pushed, she could have resisted. If he had brushed it off, she could have done the same. But he’d met her right in the middle of it.

And now there was nowhere to hide.

Turning her head, she watched him sleep beside her, his expression relaxed in a way it hadn’t been earlier.

Being here with him like this felt easy. Too easy.

That was the problem.

Because her life wasn’t here. It was in Oregon. Her apartment, her routines, her friends, her plants…

A small smile tugged at her lips because…God, she’d really blurted that out at dinner.

Still…

Those things were real and they were hers. Walking away from them—even for something that felt this good—wasn’t a small decision. Neither was walking away from him. She couldn’t be flippant about it.

Her gaze softened as she looked at him again.

She exhaled slowly, rolling onto her side. The truth was that she didn’t know which choice would hurt more. And it terrified her.

Because for the first time since coming back to Harbortown, Alesha didn’t know where she belonged anymore.

The first thing she noticed when she woke up was the warmth.

A slow smile curved her lips as she shifted slightly, taking in the feel of Reece’s arm draped loosely around her waist, his steady breathing warm against the back of her shoulder.

Okay. This part? She could definitely get used to it.

Carefully, she turned her head, studying him in the soft morning light filtering through the curtains. His hair was a little messy, his expression was relaxed, and he had a dark shadow of stubble on his jaw. It made something in her chest tighten.

Before her brain could wander back into dangerous territory, she shifted again—and that’s when Reece’s arm tightened around her.

“Don’t even think about it,” he murmured, voice rough with sleep.

She stilled. “Think about what?”

“Leaving this bed.”