Confused.
Hopeful.
Anxious.
Happy.
Cornered.
Her energy pulses through the store, raw and real and so fucking intoxicating it makes my chest ache.
She’s drowning in an oversized sweater, covering a body that was never meant to be hidden. The glasses she used to only wear when she was too tired to care what anyone thought are perched on her nose, and her hair’s loose around her shoulders—soft, touchable… familiar.
And yeah, she might be married to Mikey King, but the way she’s looking at us right now isn’t the look of a woman who’s living the dream she chose. This is the look of a woman seeing ghosts she never managed to bury and realizing the past isn’t done with her yet.
Jasper’s the first to greet her—no surprise there. He’s never met a silence he didn’t feel the need to fill, nor has he ever managed to find a filter between his brain and his mouth. He’s got all the subtlety of a wrecking ball and the self-restraint of a kid in a candy store. But now, watching him break the ice while I’m still frozen in place, I’m grateful for his inability to shut the hell up.
Jesus, she’s more beautiful than I remember.
Her hair’s shorter now, brushing just past her shoulders instead of spilling down her back, and there’s something different in the way she holds herself.
“How did you know where I was?” Her voice is steady, but her fingers twist in the hem of her sweater, a nervous tell she never outgrew.
“Small town,” I answer, watching her reaction. “People know everything about everyone. You know that.”
“Don’t just stand there. Get your ass round here.”
She circles the counter, and Jasper pulls her into a hug that looks so easy, like muscle memory, but I can see the way his hands tremble slightly against her back before he lets her go.
When she steps back, I take my turn, wrapping her petite frame in my arms. She melts into my embrace like no time has passed at all, and when I finally release her, she turns her attention to Roman.
“How are you?” she asks softly.
He just nods, rubbing his jaw as he takes her in.
“I can’t believe you’re all really here.” She laughs, but it’s got an edge of hysteria to it, like she’s still trying to convince herself we’re real.
“We wanted to come see you before the weekend,” Jasper says.
“I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and… yeah. I’m glad you found me. Of course it’s good to see you all.”
“How’s Coach?” I ask, resting my hip against the counter.
“He’s living his best life, knowing all the fuss is going to be about him for once.”
I let out a low laugh, shaking my head. “I guess it is his turn.”
“Where’s your husband?” Roman asks, blunt as always.
I reach for him instinctively, running my hand up and down his back. I have no idea if he can even feel my touch through his coat, but I don’t stop.
“Mikey is…” Addison pauses, clasping her hands together before lowering them. “I actually have no idea where he is. You’ll see him over the weekend though.”
“Awesome,” Roman mutters, his mouth twisting around the word. “Can’t wait to catch up.”
“Still can’t believe you married a King,” Jasper chimes in, grinning in that shit-eating way that only he can get away with. “What were you thinking, angel?”
“I was drunk when I agreed,” she says, and we all laugh, too loud and too long. “So, where are you guys staying?”
