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We kept texting throughout the day with a few work-related pauses in between. There were a few messages that brought those fuzzy feelings, making me grin like a fifteen-year-old. I only hoped that Madeline was feeling the same. She had to have been if she was sending the messages, right?
Toward the end of my shift, Hannah texted me. We didn’t talk much unless it involved Holly, so I assumed it was her wanting to trade weeks or something. I opened the thread.
Hannah: We need to talk. Can we please meet soon?
Milo: When I get Holly this Friday, we can meet up. My schedule is pretty packed until then.
It wasn’t that I was avoiding talking to her. I was honestly busy all week. I had twelve-hour shifts every day, and I was determined to still see Madeline in between.
Hannah: This is important, Milo.
Just as I was about to respond to her, dispatch’s muffled voice rang through our speaker.
“Milo and Ryan, we have a call for you.”
I tossed my phone on the dash and started the ambulance, Ryan listening intently to the address and details.
“What a way to end the shift,” Ryan grumbled as I sped down the road.
That final call put me getting home later than normal, a twelve-hour shift turned into a fourteen-hour shift…leaving me even more tired than I was before. I stuck my key in the lock, finding it oddly easy to twist, and when the door opened and there was a bark, I jumped. I didn’t have a dog.
Niko appeared at my feet, his floofy body and tongue sticking out of his mouth.
“Hey, bud,” I said softly, petting behind his ears. I turned to the kitchen where Madeline was busy over the stove. I could hear something sizzling and noticed two plates and two glasses of wine on the bar top of the peninsula.
I gave a slight grin. Madeline came to make me dinner.
“Hey!” She lit up when she saw me, her wide smile brightening up the daunting exhaustion that hung over me all day. “You stopped texting and didn’t call around the normal end time, so I thought I’d come and make you dinner. Obviously, it was a rough day.” She grabbed the towel on the stove and began to wipe her hands. “You know, I’m not the best cook, but I have pasta boiling and my mom’s meat sauce is almost done. Garlic bread is in the oven and…”
I walked to her as fast as I could, scooping her in my arms and lifting her onto the counter. She gave a small “whoo” as she was lifted off the ground, and once she was firmly planted on the counter, I kissed her, taking all of her in as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders, pulling me closer.
“Hi,” she said again, a swoon in her voice and a smile on her lips.
“Hey,” I responded. “You came to make me dinner?”
She nodded. “I figured you’d be hungry, and I wanted to see you so…” She placed her hands on the back of my neck and began to play with my hair.
“I am very hungry,” I admitted, though I didn't specify what for. I blinked a few times and moved my hands to the small of her back, keeping my palms there to keep her close to me. “And very tired.”
Madeline’s brow furrowed, and she clenched her teeth. “Should I have just stayed home? I can leave if you want. The sauce is almost done, and I mean, you know how to drain pasta…”
“No,” I stopped her, “I want you here.” I lifted her chin and gave her a gentle kiss. “I just wasn’t expecting you.”
“I’ve always wanted to do this, surprise my boyfriend after a hard day at work with dinner. Kent would have never let me…”
“Boyfriend?” I repeated the word.
Her eyes widened, and she leaned back. “I mean…friend,” she corrected herself.
I narrowed my eyes at her, keeping my hands on her back, not letting her pull away any farther. “Last night,” I started, looking down at my shoes, taking that one final step toward the counter. Her legs were one either side of me, and I felt her pull them closer, touching my sides. “I said I wanted to do this right…whatever we are doing here. I don’t want to mess it up.”
“I know.” She sighed. “I’ve been thinking about it all day. I had a wonderful time yesterday, and then that kiss…” She said that last part breathlessly, making me want to kiss her again. I bit my bottom lip to stop myself. “I think I’ve always had these feelings for you. I’ve just buried them deep down and ignored them. I’m nervous though.”
“Why are you nervous?”
She shrugged. “You said it yourself. You don't want to mess this up. If”—she pulled her hands from my shoulders and waved them in between us—“this doesn't work, I’ll lose my best friend.”
“That’s impossible,” I said softly. “It’s a fear for me too. It hit my thoughts once, and then I pushed it aside because nothing in the world could make me lose you. Even if”—I did the same motion with my hands as she’d done—“this doesn't work, I’ll always be your person. But if we do this, we can’t send flirty texts all day and then return to the friend zone when we see each other in person, seeing you here…” I trailed off, not exactly knowing how to finish my sentence.
