When the sun came up, realization came with it.

I glanced at Dex’s sleeping form next to me, his bare chest peeking out from the top of the covers.

Two plates sat empty save for a few crumbs on the nightstand. A trail of clothing led from the bed out the door to the hallway.

Welp, so much for having moved on.

I reached for my discarded bra and panties, slipping them back on before tiptoeing over to the bathroom. The floor creaked beneath my footsteps and I winced, as Dex shifted in the bed.

“Mornin’.”

I turned around to see Dex sitting up against the pillows. He ran his hands through his hair and grinned before spreading his arms out.

“Hey.” I grinned sheepishly. “I was just, um, gonna clean up. We made a bit of a mess last night.”

Dex chuckled. “Let me help.” He reached down on his side of the bed and grabbed his boxers then met me over by the bathroom.

I caught a glimpse of our reflections in the mirror. Dex’s hair was tousled, mine a mess. I hated that he could make anything look sexy. “So, um.” I cleared my throat. “We should probably clean up the kitchen before my sister gets home.”

“You think she’s gonna know it was us?”

I rolled my eyes and stalked toward the kitchen, collecting our discarded clothes along the way. Dex followed behind with our empty plates from the night before. After we’d had sex, the sandwiches were a bit cold but still as tasty as ever.

The fact that I knew Dex’s visit was going to be short-lived, though, made every moment worth it.

But Braden still weighed heavily on my mind.

Without a word, Dex walked over to the refrigerator—still in just his boxers—and took out the carton of eggs. He began to get the stove set up, cracking the eggs effortlessly against the side of a pan then stirring the whisk so fast it made me dizzy.

I leaned against the counter, watching him in awe. “I wish we could have this, Dex.” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. My throat constricted and I turned away, tears threatening to spill from the corners of my eyes. “I wish…”

“Amelia.” Suddenly his arms were around my waist and my head buried into his chest, heaving heavily with sobs. “Hey. Look at me.” He peeled away from me and lifted my chin up with a finger. “You’ll always have me. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, right?”

“Apparently it also makes you ignore everything you’ve been trying to get over,” I muttered to myself. “I’m going to get dressed.”

I walked back into my room and threw on a sweater and a pair of jeans. By the time I got back to the kitchen, Dex was already serving up two plates of perfectly scrambled eggs. He smiled at me from across the room but unlike before, this smile didn’t reach his eyes.

We ate in silence; the only sound was the scrape of the forks against our plates.

“How long are you staying?” I asked. It was a question I’d thought a lot about since meeting him at the front door last night.

“Through the weekend at least,” Dex replied. “That’s actually something I wanted to talk to you about. My company is going to have me travel a lot for work and there’s a convention here in Portland coming up. They wanted me here early so that I could get acquainted with a few things. I have to go to the restaurant that’s hosting the convention tomorrow but that’s why I got here when I did. I couldn’t come back home without seeing you.”

“Bet you didn’t think you’d get to see all of me.” I smirked.

Dex laughed. “No, that was certainly unexpected. But amazing. You are amazing.” He reached out to take my hand.

I swallowed. “Dex, I didn’t…last night felt different for me. You know, back in July before you left, an ‘us’ was all I could ever imagine. But now—”

“But now that spark has faded?” He finished for me.

“Yeah.” I bit my lip. “Don’t get me wrong. You’re amazing. It’s just that I don’t feel the same things I felt before.”

“Honestly? I’m glad you’ve said that. ‘Cuz I love you, Amelia. I do. But you’re also in love with someone else. Even if you don’t realize it, you’ve moved on.”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Is that why you’re giving this speech?” I stared down at my eggs.

“It’s not, but what I’m saying is the truth. Yes, the sex last night was incredible. But neither of our hearts were really in it.” His brown eyes met mine, a knowing glance settling across his irises. “You have this Braden guy. He sounds like everything and more. And to be honest, he can give you what I can’t.”

“What?”

“Stability. Consistency. Ames, I have to leave in a few days from now and we’ll be back where we started in July. I don’t want that to happen. I love when you write to me. And I love that when I visit we can pick things back up where they left off. But I’m not stability. Braden is.”

“If this is you trying to convince me to say yes to him, I’ve already made up my mind,” I said. “I’m going to do it.”

“Good.” Dex nodded, then shoveled another forkful of eggs into his mouth. “Are you going to tell him about me?”

I froze. “In time. He knows that I have a past, but he doesn’t know all the details. Figured the ‘having a kid’ thing on his side took precedence.”

He laughed. “Yeah, that would.”

“Honey, I’m hooommmeeee!” Eloise’s voice floated over to us from the front door of the apartment. She halted in the entryway when she saw me and Dex. Her smile quickly faded to confusion as she took in my still-messy hair and Dex’s half-dressed appearance. “Um, does someone want to explain what’s going on here?”

***

Dex’s words stuck with me through the weekend and well into the following week. And after the confrontation with my sister—which involved a lot of screaming and squealing— I was bound and determined to get Braden alone and tell him I’d made my decision.

I would say yes. To all of it. Yes to friends, yes to us. Yes to taking chances, to taking risks.

I waited by the classroom door, greeting each student and letting them come in to find their seats while we waited for the day to begin.

No Lucy. No Lucy on a Tuesday meant no Braden.

My heart sank as I closed the classroom door when the morning announcements roared to life on the intercom. I would have to talk to him at a different time.

“Okay, everyone!” I sing-songed after the announcements were over.

My students quieted down from their chatter, their eyes growing wide. Some kicked their legs in their chairs. One had her head buried in a book. Others slumped down in their seats.

“Let’s head over to the sharing carpet. Did everyone bring their item?”

A chorus of “yes, Miss Lawrence” echoed through the room. The children scrambled to their cubbies, pulling out stuffed animals and trinkets to bring with them for share time. Just as we got started with our first student, Millie, there was a knock at the door.

“Alright, everyone. Let’s practice our quiet voices, okay?” I stood up from my rocking chair and went to answer the door.

My heart leapt to my throat.

Braden stood at the door, holding Lucy in his arms. “Hey, I’m so sorry we’re late. Luce picked up a cold this weekend but she really wanted to come in for share time.”

“Oh my goodness.” I glanced between Lucy and her dad. “Are you sure she’s feeling well enough to be here today?”

“She doesn’t have a fever,” Braden replied, “but to be safe I’ll take her home after.” He set her down on the ground. Her hand immediately latched back onto his leg.

“Okay.” I still wasn’t sure, so I crouched down to Lucy’s height. Her breathing came out in short gasps; she was congested. “Lucy, are you sure you want to be here today?”

Lucy nodded and gripped tighter to her dad.

“Share time,” she rasped.

I sighed. Her skin was flushed and she looked like she could barely keep her eyes open. But she was persistent.

“Okay,” I finally said. “You’ll go first. Then I’ll have your dad take you home.”

Lucy acknowledged my words by marching into the classroom, still tugging at Braden to follow her.

When I started to protest, he laid a gentle hand on my shoulder.

“I’m her item,” he explained with a chuckle. “The kids were supposed to bring something they admire, right?” His blue eyes twinkled.

I smiled. “That’s really sweet.”

“Can we talk later?” he asked, lowering his voice and barely moving his lips.

His perfect, swoonworthy lips.

My gaze traveled over to my impatient students who were bouncing on their knees and growing restless.

“After school. There’s an ice cream shop off of Main. Meet me there?”

Braden nodded. “At four?”

“I’ll be there.”

We walked over to the carpet and I sat back down.

“Okay, class.” I clapped my hands together. “Let’s say good morning to Lucy!”

“Good morning, Lucy!” my students chorused.

“Lucy is going to go first for our share time today because she’s not feeling well,” I explained. I nodded to Lucy who tugged at Braden’s leg.

“My daddy is awesome because he reads with me,” Lucy said. Her voice came out barely above a whisper. She looked up for him for validation.

“It’s okay, Luce.” He rubbed her hand with his.

Lucy coughed—loose phlegm that made her almost double over—then continued. “I admire him because he builded my favorite chair in my room and he takes me to the park and gives me hugs.” She looked up at him with a toothy grin.

There was a smattering of claps around the room. I let the kids talk among themselves while I walked Lucy and Braden to the classroom door.

“You did great, Lucy,” I told her. “Now go get some rest so you can join your friends again soon, okay?”

She nodded but stayed silent, which was probably the best given her voice right now.

I brushed my fingers over Braden’s arm. “You are one rockstar father. Lucy’s lucky to have you.”

Braden beamed at me. “Thanks, Amelia. See you later.”

As I watched them walk away, I swore I heard Lucy say, “I think Miss Lawence likes you, daddy.”

His reply: “Does she? Well, I like her too. But it’s a secret, so don’t tell.”