Page 72 of This Life of Mine

She gives the handle one last tug, satisfied it’s secure, then steps away from the door.

Val heads toward her car, keys already in hand. I sling my purse over my shoulder, drop the shop keys inside, and make my way to mine.

“Call me tomorrow,” she says over her shoulder. “And don’t you dare show up at the shop. You need to rest.”

“Yeah... yeah...” I mumble.

The cool night air brushes against my skin as I cross the parking lot.

I’m halfway to my car when footsteps echo behind me. Every muscle in my body tightens.

I spin around, a breath catching in my throat.

Then I see who it is.

The air rushes back into my lungs.

“Hey,” Alex says, hands up.

A grin pulls at my mouth. “Hey.”

I glance past him, then back at his face, an eyebrow lifted. “How long have you been out here?”

He tilts his head, pretending to think.

I clasp my arms, amused. “Have you been standing in the shadows since closing, or did you just magically appear again?”

His lip curls slightly. “Does it really surprise you after everything?”

I move my head side to side, smiling. “You know, if you wanted to walk me to my car, you could’ve asked before closing. You don’t have to lurk in the dark.”

“Good to know for next time,” he replies easily.

He steps closer, “You okay?”

I nod. “Yeah. Tired. But…okay.”

“Good,” he says quietly. “I guess I just wanted to make sure.”

I gesture toward the empty lot. “Ah…so this was a stakeout?”

He meets my gaze, something warm and unreadable there. “Absolutely.”

I smile again, softer this time.

We walk side by side in comfortable silence, our strides finding the same rhythm. It feels strangely familiar, despite this being the first time.

“I’m glad you’re still here,” I say. “Again. I feel like I keep saying it, but—“

“You don’t have to,” he cuts in gently.

“I know,” I reply. “I just don’t know what else to say I guess.”

We stop near my car’s trunk, and I hesitate before I add, “Also, I noticed how uncomfortable you were earlier. With the crowd. I’m really sorry about that. Small town.” I gesture vaguely. “People mean well, but they don’t know how not to stare.”

He exhales a short laugh. “Yeah. I noticed.”

“I swear, by tomorrow they’ll be onto something else,” I say. “That’s the one upside.”