But the other part? Livvi andReadToLiv? That was quicksand, and I wasn’t sure if stepping in deeper would save me or sink me.
By the time I pulled into the lot, a knot had formed in my stomach and my heart was pounding harder than it had when the cool water had enveloped me during my races in Austin. I shut off the engine and sat there for asecond, staring at the faint glow of my apartment windows.
One deep breath, then another.
It’s just a fish, I told myself.
It’s just a woman.
But I didn’t believe either of those things anymore.
Shouldering my bag, I headed up the stairs, my pulse hammering with each step. When I slid my key into the lock and pushed the door open, the first thing I saw was the soft blue glow of the tank, the soft hum of the filter the only sound in the apartment.
And the second thing was her.
Livvi stood in front of the tank, one hand lightly pressed against the glass like she was steadying the little blue tang inside. Her hair fell in loose waves around her shoulders, dark strands catching the glow from the water. She was wearing jeans and a fitted top, nothing fancy, but it didn’t matter. My gaze caught on the subtle curves of her figure, the way the light made her hazel eyes seem brighter, alive.
Beautiful. That was the only word for her.
Something stirred in me then, something I couldn’t shake. I’d been around plenty of women before—flirtations, short-lived flings, people who liked the idea of me more than the reality. But this … this was different. Just seeing her here—in my space, taking care of something as small and fragile as a fish for me—had a more powerful effect than I expected.
She wasn’t just passing through my life anymore. She was starting to infuse herself into it.
And that thought terrified me as much as it thrilled me.
Because even as my body tightened with the urge to cross the room and thank her, to stand close enough that I could see the flecks of gold in her eyes, there was that other thought gnawing at me. The secret I couldn’t ignore.
ReadToLiv.
Livvi.
They had to be the same. Every conversation, every slip of words, every overlap … it all lined up. And if that was true, what then? I needed to know if she knew, if she’d known all along. Or was I just the idiot in the room, catching up to a game she’d been playing from the start?
I clenched my jaw, torn between wanting to pull her into this new piece of my world and wanting to step back until I knew the truth.
But then she turned and looked at me, her lips curving into a small smile, and for one unguarded second, all I felt was relief.
Her smile widened as I slowly stepped closer, and she gestured toward the tank.
“She’s holding up,” Livvi said softly. “I mean, considering. The ich isn’t gone yet, but she’s still eating. That’s a good sign.”
I moved beside her, close enough to see the tiny bubbles clinging to the surface of the water. The blue tang swam in a lazy loop, fins twitching, her colors a little duller than before. The air lodged in my throat, tooheavy to swallow. I hadn’t realized how much I’d already gotten attached to this little fish until I saw her like this.
“Yeah, but we need to help her.” My voice was lower than I intended, almost rough.
Livvi glanced at me, her hazel eyes steady and reassuring. “I started raising the temperature a little. It speeds up the parasite’s life cycle so the treatment can actually work. I’ll show you what to add—it’s not complicated, just needs consistency.”
She reached for the small bottle on the counter, brushing past me as she measured a dose. The scent of her shampoo hit my nose, and I forced myself to focus on the fish, not the way every small thing about her seemed to cause my senses to go haywire.
“You look like a pro.” I watched her tip the medicine into the tank.
Her lips curved, a proud little smile. “I couldn’t let her down. She deserves the best.”
Something in her tone—so certain, so gentle—made me glance at her instead of the fish. And just like before, there was a tug in my chest, something new but also familiar.
“So,” she went on, keeping her eyes on the water, “I figured we’ll treat her for two weeks, keep the water extra clean, and see how she does. It’s not guaranteed, but …” She finally looked at me, and I caught the faintest flicker of vulnerability. “It’s worth trying.”
“Yeah,” I murmured, nodding. “It’s definitely worth trying.”