I caught up to her by the side door, blocking it long enough for her to finally look at me.
"Hey," I said, soft but steady.
"Hey," she echoed, polite but clipped. Eyes everywhere but mine.
Okay. So we were doing this.
Neutral ground, maybe. But the air between us still held yesterday's spark—and the static that followed.
I tried not to fidget. "You’ve been avoiding me."
"I’ve been working."
"Uh-huh." I stepped back and held the door for her. "So, is this how you plan to handle things now? Pretend yesterday didn’t happen and make me chase you around with clean towels?"
She froze just inside the threshold, still not turning to face me. "I’m not pretending anything."
"Riley."
Her name pulled her gaze to mine—finally.
I softened my voice. "I’m not here to push. I’m just… trying to do the thing you’re always telling me to do. Communicate. Use my words. Not screw it up."
That earned me a reluctant half-smile.
She set the towels down on the counter. "You really are learning."
I stepped closer, enough to brush my knuckles against hers. "You say that like it’s a bad thing."
She shook her head, lips twitching. "It’s just… weird. Being on the other side of it."
"Well," I murmured, taking her hand fully, "get used to it."
I pulled her gently toward me. She didn’t resist, but her shoulders stayed tense, guarded.
"What is it?" I asked, searching her face. "You can tell me."
Riley exhaled, eyes finally meeting mine.
"I meant what I said last night. The kiss was… it was everything. But it also made things real. And real is complicated."
I nodded, my heart thudding harder than it should’ve. "I get that."
She looked away again. "I don’t want to mess this up."
"Then don’t," I said. "Let’s figure it out. Together."
She didn’t smile exactly, but something in her face softened.
“Okay, but if we’re going to start figuring things out together… can we start with figuring out how to assemble the new kennels?"
I laughed. "Sure. Well, as long as the instructions are in English."
And just like that, the air between us shifted. Not cleared, exactly. But breathable.
She didn’t say yes exactly, but it felt like a yes.
And I am not about to waste that.
