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I almost pull away. I don't.

"I wasn't waiting for you to tell me every painful thing that's ever happened to you." Her eyes return to mine. "I was waiting for you to trust me enough to tell me this one."

That lands. "I do trust you."

"I know that now." Now. I hear everything inside that word.

"What hurt this morning?"

She takes a breath. "It wasn't Diana." I wait. "It wasn't even finding out you'd been married."

"I know."

"Last night mattered to me."

"It mattered to me too."

"I thought we were getting somewhere real."

"We were."

"Then I found out from Jack that there was this whole part of your life I didn't know existed."

She looks down at her coffee.

"For a few hours, I wondered if maybe I'd misunderstood what was happening between us."

"You didn't." Her eyes lift. I don't hesitate. "You didn't misread it, Maddy."

Something in her face gives. "I needed to hear that."

I tighten my hand around hers. "Then hear it."

A small smile appears. I wait. She looks at me for another moment. Then her smile disappears.

"I think I'm falling for you."

Everything in me stills. Maddy's eyes don't leave mine.

"I think that's why it hurt as much as it did."

I don't know what to say. Not because I don't feel something just as dangerous. Because whatever is happening inside me is bigger than anything I'm ready to name.

So I stand. Maddy watches me come around the table. I stop beside her chair.

"You didn't misread it." Her eyes search mine.

"No?"

"No." I take her hand and pull her gently to her feet. "You matter to me more than I know what to do with."

A breath of laughter escapes her. "That sounds inconvenient."

"It is.” I pause. “Very."

Her smile reaches her eyes this time. "Good."

"Good?"