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Blaze’s smile didn’t fade as he stepped a little closer. “Well, I guess there are worse things to be. But hey, if you need a break from the family tornado, I’m here.”
I nodded, feeling some relief wash over me. His genuine and earnest concern made it seem a little less overwhelming. “Deal. And thanks, Blaze. It’s nice to know I’ve got an ally in the eye of the storm.”
His gaze lingered on me, soft yet intense. “I forget how loud and chaotic my family can be. And distracting. I’m sorry.”
I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. “No, it’s all good. I’m just realizing how different this is from what I’m used to.”
He stepped closer, his presence both comforting and unsettling. “Different can be good, you know.”
“I know,” I murmured, our eyes locked in a moment of silent understanding.
Blaze’s voice softened. “I wish you didn’t have to leave so soon.”
The vulnerability in his tone tugged at my heart. “Yeah, me too. But my dad’s waiting, and the storm has cleared, so I should probably get going.”
Blaze’s expression held a hint of disappointment, but he nodded in understanding. “I know, family comes first. But hey, the roads aren’t going anywhere. You sure you can’t stay just a bit longer?”
I bit my lip, torn between the pull of seeing dad and the desire to linger with Blaze. “It’s tempting, really tempting, but I should head out. I’ve already pushed it by staying all morning.”
“Can I at least walk you back? Help with your things?” he asked, his hand outstretched towards me, an unspoken invitation for a few more moments together.
I hesitated…then, giving in to the pull of his presence, I placed my hand in his. His touch was warm, a gentle anchor in my flurry of emotions. “That would be nice, thank you.”
Our walk back was a quiet journey filled with shared looks and unspoken thoughts rather than words. It was comfortable, yet it stirred within me a sense of longing, a desire for more moments like these that Blaze so effortlessly brought to life.
As we approached the house, Blaze stopped and faced me, a seriousness in his eyes. “Trisha, I don’t know what comes next, but these past few days, they’ve been…”
“Special,” I said, finding the word for both of us. It hung in the air, a perfect descriptor for the whirlwind of emotions and experiences we’d shared.
“Yeah, special,” he echoed, and I saw in his eyes a reflection of the bittersweet mix of feelings churning inside me.
We stood there, caught in a moment that was both an ending and a possibility. Then, with a heavy sigh, I stepped back, breaking the spell. “I should go and say goodbye.”
Just then, Blaze surprised me. “There’s a little shop nearby, open on Christmas. It’s for people who don’t have family around or just need a break. They serve great hot chocolate and cookies.” He looked almost nervous suggesting it, an unexpectedly charming side of him.
A smile tugged at my lips. Maybe I could stretch this goodbye a little longer. After all, even my dad had hinted at staying a bit more. “I think I’d like that, though it’s kind of funny to think about drinking hot chocolate when it’s this warm out.”
Blaze grinned. “I know what you mean. It took a while, but I’m more used to the colder winters now. My first winter driving in the snow, I hit a patch of black ice and nearly wrecked my car.”
His laugh, light and infectious, drew a genuine chuckle from me. “I guess black ice is something of a rite of passage,” I said, my tone playful. “But I’m glad you were okay.”
Blaze shrugged, a hint of a smile still playing on his lips. “It was definitely a wake-up call. Gave me a new respect for winter driving.”
As we strolled towards the cozy shop, our steps fell into a comfortable rhythm. Blaze’s anecdote about black ice had painted a picture of his life, likely somewhere on the frosty East Coast. My curiosity about the life I knew nothing of, bubbled inside me. I remembered the little tidbit London had said about his high school days jamming to the Backstreet Boys, and it made me smile.
But I resisted the urge to pepper him with questions. We had established rules, unspoken lines we agreed not to cross, to keep things simple, uncomplicated. And as much as I wanted to delve deeper, to understand the man beside me, I knew this wasn’t the time. This walk, these moments, they were precious—a fleeting connection in our otherwise separate lives. I didn’t want to taint them with a barrage of queries and the inevitable “what-ifs” that would follow.
Yet, as Blaze’s hand wrapped around mine, a surge of warmth washed over me, pushing aside any lingering hesitation. His touch was electric, sparking a connection that felt both thrilling and right. His fingers laced with mine, a silent promise in the simple gesture.
I looked up at him, finding his gaze already on me. It was deep and searching, as if he was trying to read my thoughts, to understand the emotions swirling within me. In his eyes, I saw a reflection of my own feelings - a mixture of longing, curiosity, and a hint of something more, something deeper.
Our encounter had been sudden, passionate, and completely unforgettable. Somewhere inside me, I knew I would hold onto these memories and emotions for years to come. Blaze wasn’t just some passing fling anymore; he had become a permanent fixture in my life story, one that I would return to again and again during quiet times alone or when lost in thought.
“Tell me more about this shop,” I said, needing something else to focus on besides our physical connection.
“Well, it’s been open as long as I can remember,” Blaze said. “The couple who owns it, Ma and Pa Ulrich, have been old as long as I can remember. They’re like grandparents for everyone in the area. Go all out for every holiday with decorations, and they’re always open on holidays.”
“That’s really sweet,” I said.
