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Butterflies formed in her stomach, her body buzzing with what her next chapter could look like. And there was no way to ignore the very loud voice in her head that couldn’t wait to tell her best friend.
To feel his hard body pressed against her as he hugged her, whispering words of support and encouragement while he did so.
June scarfed the rest of her food before shooting off a text, telling him she needed him at the store at some point tomorrow.
He responded immediately.
You know I’ll be there if you need me, J.
Speaking of butterflies.
She knew not only the truth of his words but the gravity. He had — and would — always come running. And she didn’t know anyone else he did that for, outside of family, Colton, and Archer.
The more she looked, the more she saw that he did feel the same way she felt about him. That if she decided to upend her life, being with him might be worth the risk of losing him.
7
Dragan checked himself in the mirror, smoothing his wet hair. If working at Will’s Auto was good for anything, it was making sure he showered often and got somewhat regular haircuts to avoid wearing the stupid bandanas that the long-haired mechanics usually wore to keep from snagging underneath the vehicles. He’d get a haircut after seeing June.
Her text last night was slightly alarming. She rarely, if ever, claimed to need him. They spent so much time together, he ended up always being there when the need arose.
Which meant this was important.
He sprayed himself with cologne, a woody tobacco scent with vanilla that reminded him of old libraries. It was a Tom Ford present from Colton a couple years ago after Dragan moved out on his own and one night lamented about trying to piece together what being a man looked like with no money. Without having a father figure and with the need to be one for his younger siblings, he’d done a deep dive about being a man, a role model. Digging through the toxic masculinity he’d found online, taking notes from the guys in his friend group, and picking up the cues from his essentially single mom and little sister, Dragan had been able to piece together a hygienic and thoughtful version of the examples he’d come across. He didn’t like splurging on himself, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t clean his nails or floss every night. Or wear an overpriced cologne that Colton swore would make the ladies swoon.
Grabbing his jacket, Dragan locked his apartment and walked down South Street to the bookstore. As fate would have it, he lived on the same street as June, just on different blocks. It only further cemented their friendship.
He took a deep breath before opening the door, being greeted with June’s grandma working the counter and the excited exclamations of kids in the far back corner being read to. He’d recognize June’s voice any day, even as it took on different tones and cadences for each character, and he nodded at Missy while he wove through the shelves to see his best friend.
Standing in the back, he watched her turn the page, catching her eye when she looked back at the crowd. She stuttered slightly before regaining her footing. There were few things Dragan loved more than watching June have fun. She had her demons, as they all did, but she greeted everything with so much excitement, so much love, it was hard not to join in. He laughed when the kids did, clapping when June closed the book and thanked everyone for coming.
He smiled at her when she smiled at him, her rosy cheeks highlighting the emeralds of her eyes.
June worked her way through the crowd while Dragan leaned against the wall, hands in his jean pockets. She spoke with parents, quickly but kindly, before pointing them in the direction of the book she just read. When she finally reached Dragan, she beamed up at him, slightly out of breath.
He wanted to eat her, she looked so goddamn good.
“You came.”
“Of course. How can I help?”
It shouldn’t have been possible for her smile to get any wider, but it did. Her hand found its way to his and she pulled him into the back office, closing the door quietly.
Could this be…?
When she turned to face him, her eyes were wide and bright.
“I’m going to write books. Books helped me — and you — so much. They saved our lives, and if I can’t save the store, I can at least help make someone’s life better. I — I was thinking… romance.”
She bit her lower lip, her face quirking in concern.
Romance?
“As in, Fabio? Or Fifty Shades?”
She laughed, brightening the room. Dragan warmed from its glow.
“I haven’t decided but… maybe on the Fifty Shades spectrum? I have to, you know, have an idea and plot something out. But this is the first time I’ve been excited about something in a really long time, D. And I have to take that as a sign.”
