Page 69 of What Remains

Layla chatted to herself in the backseat, staging conversations between her stuffed rabbit and the passing snowbanks. She kept her voice bright and oblivious, as if tension could only exist in grown-up rooms.

Josie leaned her forehead against the cold glass, watching the white fields blur past. The morning replayed in her mind in sharp fragments: Seth's struggle for composure, the confession about Molly and AJ, and the hesitant kiss that followed—soft, tentative, as if he wrestled with deserving closeness or fearing it would break him.

Josie felt no regret.

And that was the problem.

Beside her, Seth's hands gripped the steering wheel, his focus rigid. His jaw was set, his gaze locked on the road, as if locked in an internal battle. The silence stretched, growing brittle.

When he finally spoke, his voice was careful.

"Listen..."

Josie turned, her tone soft. "What is it?"

He kept his eyes on the road. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Josie asked.

Seth's jaw clenched, the words seemingly fighting their way out. "For—" He choked, unable to finish. "For kissing you."

The silence that followed was not empty; it was attentive.

Josie studied the strong line of his jaw, the way his scarred hands rested on the wheel. He looked exhausted, yet resolute. When he finally met her gaze, she saw past the cold blue of his eyes to the fatigue just beneath the surface.

She didn't look away.

"Don't apologize," she said quietly.

Seth glanced over, startled. Josie continued before her courage faltered. "I wasn't expecting it, that's all."

"And I wasn't expecting it," he admitted.

"I know." Her smile was restrained but real, just touching the corners of her mouth. "I wasn't expecting it either."

She shifted to face him more fully. "Seth... Mark's gone."

The words came out with a strange mix of certainty and awkwardness, as if reminding herself of a rule that no longer applied to either of them. His expression softened instantly, relief breaking through his tension.

Josie pushed past her nerves, forcing honesty. "You're not married either."

He nodded once.

"We shared a kiss," she added, her voice gentler. "That's all it was. We don't have to punish ourselves for it."

Seth's brows lifted slightly. "You're sure?"

Josie let out a small laugh. "I mean it. I’m sure. And... I enjoyed it."

Seth blinked, clearly thrown by her directness. "You did?"

"Don't act so surprised," Josie said, a small, genuine smile touching her lips. "It was a nice moment."

A quiet laugh escaped him. "It was. More than nice."

"But," Seth said, the word heavy with unspoken meaning.

Josie knew what came next. She watched the highway ahead disappear into more snow and more distance.