Page 48 of The Professor's Wife

I let out a light laugh. “I’m sorry. I know that sounded sappy as hell. I don’t know what it is about the night sky that makes us all weepy with these kinds of thoughts.”

His smile was weak. “Something in us.”

“It’s easy to feel lonely out here.”

“You’re not lonely tonight.”

I swallowed, my throat tight. “No. I’m not.”

His voice lowered. “You’ve been through something. I can tell.”

I stiffened. “Everyone’s been through something.”

“Yeah, but yours feels…heavy.”

I opened my mouth, searching for a response.

“Grief,” I pushed out weakly.

He nodded slowly. “That doesn’t go away.”

“No,” I whispered. “It doesn’t.”

Tristan leaned forward, poking at the fire with a stick. “Losing my dad gutted me. You’d think I’d manage my day-to-day life without trouble. I’d been on my own for a while, and yet I still don’t know how to be without him.”

I studied him. “You seem so…grounded, though.”

He smiled faintly. “Like you, I just hide it well.”

I hesitated, then said, “I don’t hide it well.”

“You do,” he said gently. “Too well.”

I blinked quickly, the stars blurring above me. “But you can talk about it. I…I think if I talk about it, I’ll fall apart.”

“Then don’t talk, Daze. Just sit with me. The stars want to be seen, isn’t that right?”

We sat there for a long time, the night deepening around us. The fire crackled softly. The air continued to cool.

I felt his hand brush mine, and I didn’t pull away. I let our fingers intertwine.

What was this?

What was I doing?

I took steady breaths, at first trying not to read too much into it, but that was impossible. When this man touched me, even in the most cautious ways, I felt it reach every part of my body.

My skin tingled from his contact. Pined for it when it left.

The fire began to die, but he didn’t feed it anymore.

The mood between us had shifted. I felt his stare deepen. Felt the way he watched me, and it wasn’t just heat I felt, but curiosity.

Eventually, he stood and offered me his hand. “Come on. Let’s get warm.”

I followed him into the van.

Tristan released the catches above us and pushed the camper’s roof up, giving the cramped interior enough height for both of us to stand.