Page 55 of The Obvious Check
Neither of us says a word as we walk toward my car, but she has to know this is more than just one night.
She’s got me forever now. No one should have to fend for themselves the way she has. No one should have to bear this kind of weight alone, and I’m sure as hell not letting that happen again.
Savannah parks her car in my parking lot.Ourparking lot if I can convince her to stay. She kills the engine, and for a moment, she just sits there, her knuckles paling under the dim glow of the streetlight as her fingers flex around the steering wheel.
I get it.
Savannah doesn’t like accepting help. She doesn’t do well with kindness either, which is probably because she’s been burned by both.
She pushes open the door, stepping out into the night air, and heads to the back seat to grab her duffel bag, i.e. her entire existence. I don’t give her a chance to grab it. Without a word, I haul it over my shoulder, surprised by the weight. I’m used to carrying all my equipment around, but this feels heavier. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised since everything she owns is in here.
I nod toward the building. “Come on. You know the way,” I say, mostly to fill the silence. She hesitates for a beat, then falls into step beside me.
Inside the apartment, Stanley greets me, with his tongue out and tail wagging in the air. His excitement is full body, his pawslifting off the ground in small jumps as he wiggles against my leg.
But the second his big brown eyes land on her, it’s all over for me.
His entire world shifts.
Savannah crouches just in time, and Stanley barrels into her, his tail wagging as he licks her face. She lets out a soft laugh, and I swear, it’s the first time I’ve ever heard her make that sound.
“Hey, buddy,” she says as she threads her fingers into his fur, whispering something I can’t make out. It’s quiet and tender and makes him melt against her, while I just stand there, useless and watching them like an idiot. Why do they look so perfect together?
Sighing, realizing that I’m completely gone for the two of them, I set her bag and the takeout boxes on the kitchen counter. I tap my finger across the counter, feeling that awkward tension coming back.
This is not how my dates usually end…
“As it’s only been a few days,” I say, keeping my tone easy. “I’m assuming you remember where everything is?”
She nods, still stroking Stanley behind the ears, her lips slightly parted, like she wants to say something but doesn’t have the courage to just yet.
I feel the same. There’s so much I want to say to her, but I hold back, knowing if I do, I might scare her away.
I clear my throat, scrubbing a hand over my jaw. “I think I’m going to hit the sack. I’ve got training in the morning.”
Her gaze drops from me, back to Stanley.
“Okay,” she says quietly, standing. “Thanks again for everything.”
“Always.”
I take a step toward her, but then think better of it, and turn on my heel, heading to my room even though I feel this weird sense of unfinished business between us.
“C-Cade?” Her voice is soft and hesitant, but it’s enough to make me stop.
When I turn, she’s closer now, with her arms folded across her stomach, her shoulders pulled in tight.
I bend my knees so I can look at her and place my hands on her arms. “Is everything okay?”
Then, before I can say another word, she steps toward me. Her arms slip around my waist and she presses herself against my chest. She’s… hugging me. Again. It’s tentative at first, almost as though she’s testing the weight of it, the feel of being held by me.
And I freeze, feeling the weight of it myself. I know what this is, and I know how hard it is for her to be so vulnerable.
Slowly, I wrap my arms around her, one hand resting between her shoulder blades, the other at the small of her back as my thumb gently grazes the fabric of her sweatshirt in relaxed, careful strokes.
I draw in a slow, deliberate breath, letting her scent wash over me. Warm vanilla, rich and familiar, laced with something softer. Something unmistakably hers.
She pulls back just a fraction, enough for our eyes to meet. Her deep, unreadable eyes hold me in place, tethering me to this moment. To her.
