Her smile is slow. Dangerous. “Am I?”
We stop walking. The city keeps moving around us, but the moment narrows, sharp and electric. I turn to face her fully, close enough now that I can see the flecks of lighter blue in her eyes. “Quinn,” I state her name with a quiet bite.
“Yes?” Her eyelids flutter as she looks up at me.
“You know I want you.” The words are simple. Honest. They land like a brick between us.
She doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t look away. “I know,” she acknowledges calmly.
That steadiness only makes it worse. “I’m trying to be cool about it,” I continue, voice dropping. “Trying not to push.”
Her brow lifts slightly. “And?”
“And it’s getting harder.” I step closer. Not aggressive. Not rushed. Just enough to box her in against the brick wall behind her. My hands brace on either side of her, caging without touching. Giving her space while making my intent unmistakable. “Especially when you keep doing the thing.”
Her breath catches.Good.I lean in, close enough that I can feel her warmth, close enough that kissing her would be the easiest thing in the world. But I don’t. I hold her gaze instead, letting her see exactly how much restraint this costs me. “I could kiss you right now,” I murmur. “God knows I want to.”
Her pulse jumps. I see it. Feel it. And then, she moves. It’s not hesitant. Not unsure. Her hand reaches out to fist lightly in the front of my jacket, and then tugs me in like she’s done waiting for permission.
Her mouth finds mine. And fuck, it’s quick, but it’s not soft. It’s heat and tension and everything we’venotbeen doing all day compressed into one sharp, electric moment. My hands flex against the wall beside her, every instinct I have screaming to close the distance, to pull her into me, to deepen it, but I don’t.
I hold the line. Even as she kisses me like she knows exactly what she’s doing to me. Then she draws back. Just as fast. Her breath uneven. So is mine.
“Okay,” she exhales, shaking her head slightly like she’s clearing it. “Yeah… that was a mistake.”
I huff a quiet laugh, not even trying to hide it. “Didn’t feel like one.”
Her lips twitch, but she doesn’t quite smile. “That’s exactly the problem.”
Her hand is still resting against my chest. She notices it. Slowly drops it. Then looks back up at me, steady again, but not untouched. “We’re not doing this,” she shakes her head. Not a shutdown. A boundary.
I tilt my head, watching her. “Not doing what?”
“This,” she gestures vaguely between us. “Whatever this turns into if we’re not careful.”
I step back half a pace this time. Give her space. Not retreating. Respecting. “Okay,” I nod once.
Her brow lifts slightly, like she didn’t expect that to be so easy.
“I mean it,” I add, quieter. “I told you. I’m trying to do this right.”
Something shifts in her expression. Wariness loosens. Just a little. “One step at a time,” she nods. Not no. Not yes. Something in between.
I smile, slow and unguarded. “Yeah. I can work with that.”
We finish the day with one more showing. It’s not perfect, but it has potential. Sunlight. Quiet. A future she could growinto. When we step back outside, the city is glowing gold, late afternoon slipping toward evening.
“I had fun today,” she admits casually.
I glance at her. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
I smile, unguarded. “Me too.”
I walk her back to the station, watch her descend the stairs, the hem of my sweatshirt disappearing last. She turns once, halfway down, and looks back at me. “Thanks for waiting for me,” she waves before turning back around.
For however long it takes, I think. The train pulls away, and I stand there longer than necessary, chest tight with something that feels dangerously close to hope. Because for the first time in a long time, I don’t want the easy win.
