Page 142 of Where We Stay

I sink farther into the couch, letting his words settle over me.

They don’t make the fear disappear.

But they give me something steadier to hold on to.

* * *

The next morning, I’m getting ready for my shift at The Breakwater when a text comes through from Dean.

MR. ASHFORD: You look hot today.

ME: You haven’t even seen me today, Mr. Ashford.

His response comes almost immediately.

MR. ASHFORD: I don’t need to.

I smile despite myself, but another message appears before I can reply.

MR. ASHFORD: And before you start overthinking, I meant what I said. I’m not shutting you out.

Some of the tension lodged beneath my ribs eases.

He’s doing exactly what he promised.

ME: I know. Thank you.

I set my phone down and return to getting ready.

I’ve opened up to Dean in a way I never thought I would with anyone. Trusted him with pieces of myself I’ve spent years keeping hidden.

This is becoming more than I’m ready to admit.

And I’m still waiting for something to come along and ruin it.

A few hours later, The Breakwater is painfully slow. Logan sits at the end of the bar, nursing a beer and keeping me company without saying much.

I like Logan. In a lot of ways, he’s the complete opposite of Dean. Approachable. Goofy. Never taking life too seriously.

But underneath all of that, he’s fiercely loyal.

I can see why G was drawn to him.

Not that I’d ever tell her that.

I’m wiping down an already-clean section of the bar when the front door opens.

The blonde who walks in is beautiful.

Not pretty.

Beautiful.

Logan goes completely still at the end of the bar.

I know exactly who she is before she even looks at me.

Courtney.