“Today… was it more about seeing people again, or figuring out how you feel about all of it?”
For a second, my mind went straight to Darryl. Then I thought that wasn’t really what he meant.
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. Then, quieter, “Maybe a bit of both.”
I watched the sand shift under my shoes as we walked.
“I think part of me just wanted to know if I still felt anything,” I admitted. “Or if I’d been making it bigger in my head than it was.”
“And?”
I let out a short breath. “And it wasn’t that.”
“I don’t think I was angry,” I said after a moment. “Or hurt. Not really. It just felt like… I’d been on the edge of something for a long time without realizing I wasn’t really part of it anymore.”
Then, because honesty felt easier than whatever was starting to form in my chest, I added, “Also, you looked really good today.”
Dane laughed. “That’s your takeaway?”
“People were telling me that all day,” I said, a little defensive. “It felt relevant.”
He nudged my shoulder. “Do you regret coming?”
I let the question sit for a moment.
“No,” I said at last. “I’m glad I saw them again. I didn’t realize how much I missed all of it.”
Dane nodded. “And if you could go back?”
The waves rolled in beside us, loud and steady.
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “I think I would still leave. At the time, it felt like the only thing I could do.”
My fingers brushed his. I didn’t pull away this time and let my fingers lace with his.
“I definitely don’t regret asking you to come,” I said.
“Were you considering anyone else?” Dane asked.
I laughed. “Absolutely. I had a whole list. But you were cheap. Coffee and pastries were enough to win you over.”
“That sounds like an excellent return on investment.”
“Oh, it was a steal.”
Dane slid an arm around my shoulders as we walked, pulling me in with easy certainty. The warmth of him settled against my side in a way I was starting to recognize too quickly.
I leaned in before I could think too much about it. His gaze met mine again, steady and focused entirely on me.
I tugged lightly at the front of his shirt, drawing him down just enough. He met me halfway.
The kiss was slower than the last one, less uncertain this time, more deliberate, and harder to pretend it didn’t mean anything.
10
DANE
By the time we made it back to the hotel, my head felt pleasantly foggy in the way that only happened after kissing Seth for too long.
