Page 30 of Not Because You Loved Me

Are you free tomorrow night?

His reply came back less than ten seconds later:

For you? Always.

I smiled, setting the phone down, feeling the weight of the past months slip off my shoulders. It was time to stop running from what was real.

CHAPTER 18

Trent

The Next Evening

I spent two hours trying on several shirts before settling on a dark grey button-down with the sleeves rolled up to my forearms and a clean pair of jeans.

I was nervous.

Tonight felt fresh and light, but also incredibly important. Tonight was about us, no secrets, no assumptions, just two people stepping across the threshold into something completely new.

When I pulled up to Kat’s house at six o'clock sharp, she met me at the front door.

My breath caught at the sight of her. She wore a simple sage-green sundress that brought out the peridot flecks in her eyes, her dark hair falling in soft waves around her shoulders. She looked rested, beautiful, and lighter than I’d seen her in too long.

"Hey," she said with a smile, stepping out onto the porch and pulling the door shut behind her.

"Hey," I murmured, stepping up to meet her. I didn't rush in for a hug or a kiss, even though that is exactly what I wanted to do. Instead, I offered her a warm, genuine smile. "You look incredible, Kat."

A pink blush touched the tops of her cheeks as she looked up at me through her lashes, saying, "You clean up pretty good yourself, Prescott."

I took her to an Italian restaurant on the riverfront, a place that felt private and intimate.

For two hours over handmade pasta and wine, we talked. Really talked. Not about my mom’s appointments, or work, or the past. We talked about her plans for her program in the fall, how she was going to try to manage the full course load and keep her full-time job at the arena, and a book she’d read on the plane ride home. I listened intently and then shared a ridiculous story about Gideon trying to bake a birthday cake for Dad while she was gone.

She laughed, that deep, throaty, gorgeous laugh I’d missed so damn much, and the last remaining tension in my shoulders finally melted away.

After dinner, the evening was mild and clear, so we took a slow walk along the paved pathway following the river.

The sun was setting in streaks of orange and deep purple across the water. About five minutes into the walk, as our hands brushed together, I stopped overthinking it and reached down, sliding my fingers between hers.

Kat didn't pull away. She tightened her grip, resting her thumb against the back of my hand.

We walked in comfortable silence before Kat spoke up, her voice quiet against the rush of the river.

"Trent?"

"Yeah?"

"What are we doing right now?" she asked, glancing up at me. "I mean... I know I asked in Zurich, and I know how you felt about being called my friend… what are we?"

I slowed my pace, looking down at her, trying to project my feelings to her. "What do you want us to be, Kat?"

She blinked, surprised by the question.

"Think about it," I said gently, stroking my thumb over her knuckles. "We never actually defined our relationship before we got engaged. We went from lingering looks and late-night talks on your porch, casual dating without a formal title, and then straight into a ring and a false timeline built on my stupid assumptions. We skipped every normal step two people take when they fall for each other."

Kat was quiet, looking out over the water as we kept walking. One second passed. Then five. Then ten.

My chest tightened slightly, the urge to jump in and fill the silence flaring up, to tell her she didn't have to answer right away, that we could take all the time she needed, that I wasn't going anywhere. I forced myself to keep my mouth shut and just listen.