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It seemed I didn’t give her enough credit before.
When we reached her house, I felt a sense of dismay since she upheld her end of the deal, and the night was over. There was no reason for us to spend more time together.
She reached the porch first, but I stopped just in front and leaned on the railing. I didn’t want to watch her head inside without me, but I didn’t want to push it either. We had already blurred that line before.
She was just my neighbor. Just a woman helping me out.
It was getting harder and harder to think that was it between us when she fit that role so naturally.
“Thanks for helping me,” I said at last, to which Sara turned to face me again with her arms folded in front of herself. “I don’t think my mom will be pushing me to go on dates anymore.”
“It was no problem. I had a nice time with them,” she returned with a gentle, considerate smile. “I was just glad they didn’t hate that I’m a witch.”
“They’re good like that. I complain about them often, but they’re good folks to have. They were big fans of you.”
“I’m glad I could help.”
Even if her words sounded genuine, I could sense she was slightly off. Like she had something else going through her head.
It made me curious, but I didn’t want to press. I had taken up enough of her time.
“If it’s any consolation, I don’t plan to abuse our arrangement,” I began, leaning closer to her from my place. I felt drawn to her again as I took in those beautiful features. “I won’t let my mom demand we see them every week.”
Sara chuckled at that. “Eating your mother’s cooking every week wouldn’t be so bad, at least.”
Given the chance to examine her with a more considerate eye than before, that want simmered within me again. She seemed to do everything effortlessly, and I couldn’t imagine I’d ever get over that amazement I felt.
Even if I failed to see it before, she was a special person, and I didn’t mind the idea of seeing her more. Regardless of what that made us, my curiosity was piqued, and I wanted the chance to have something more sincere between us.
Desperate for the chance to prolong the conversation, I began, “By the way, you can put up whatever decorations you want, and I won’t complain. Consider it a thank you for playing along. And also as an apology for how angry I was over it before. They weren’t that bad.”
Sara cocked a brow at that, then she snickered and crossed her arms over her chest. “If only Ostara wasn’t already over. But I’ll remember that for next time.”
Nodding, I didn’t know what else to say. I just wanted to look at her. To feel her and divulge in that comfort I craved from her.
I didn’t know what was becoming of me, but something had changed. I had changed.
With a faintly teasing smile, she hummed, “Goodnight, Griffin.”
But as she turned, I couldn’t take the thought of her leaving yet. Without thinking, I reached for her wrist and gripped it as gently as I could. Taking up the next step, I towered over her once more, and our eyes met.
She looked somewhat surprised by the contact, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she examined me closely, looking between my eyes and my mouth.
A shiver ran through me at that.
Swallowing thickly, I loosened my grip on her wrist and traced small circles there. The gesture helped soothe the rampant beating of my pulse.
“Thank you, Sara. I mean it. I wouldn’t have accomplished it without you.”
Time stood still as we looked at each other, as if both wondering who would make the next move. She was so close; it wouldn’t take much to lean in and cut that space between us again.
My wolf was clawing within me, begging for the chance to feel her lips. Like it was starving, it longed for that contact.
While I was on the same page with it, I hesitated. I didn’t want to give her mixed signals. I hated the idea of leading her on, just to inevitably remember we were just neighbors, and more recently friends.
Finding common ground with her felt nice, and I didn’t want to throw that away. However, the thought of exploring what we could be seemed enticing. Even if I was older than her, and she could have her pick of much younger guys, it didn’t feel like the worst idea.
The confliction swirling within me stopped me from doing anything at all.
