ReadToLiv
You’reimportant to me too.
The words felt heavier than they should have, like I was making a promise I didn’t fully understand.
TheWriteGuy
Maybe it’s time we stop hiding behind screens. Maybe it’s time we meet.
My heart slammed so hard, I thought I might actually drop the phone.
ReadToLiv
Meet?
TheWriteGuy
Yeah. We’ve known each other for a while now. I feel like we owe it to ourselves to see if this is real.
I stared at the message, nerves buzzing under my skin. Part of me wanted to screamyes,to finally know. Another part of me—an equal, stubborn part—was terrified. What if meeting ruined everything? What if the connection didn’t survive the shift from words on a screen to face-to-face reality? I didn’t know if I was ready to lose this relationship.
ReadToLiv
That’s … a big step.
TheWriteGuy
I know. No pressure. Just think about it.
But for what it’s worth, I think you might be braver than you realize.
I let out a shaky breath, staring at his words until thescreen dimmed. Braver than I realized. Maybe. Or maybe I was just a woman with two hearts pulling her in opposite directions.
And the wildest part? Both pulls felt exactly the same.
I didn’t sleep. Not really. I tossed, I turned, I stared at the ceiling until the shadows transformed with the rising sun. By the time I dragged myself out of bed, my brain was a muddled knot ofwhat-ifsandmaybes.
TheWriteGuywanted to meet. Talon was … well, Talon. Real and solid and maddening and wonderful. And I was smack in the middle, paralyzed with indecision.
I needed backup.
Which was how, an hour later, I ended up sitting at our tiny kitchen table in my pajamas with Roxie pouring coffee into mugs while Cali’s voice chirped through the speakerphone.
“Okay,” Cali said, the rustle of sheets in the background. “Start from the top. And don’t leave anything out this time.”
“She never does,” Roxie muttered, sliding a mug toward me as she plopped into the chair across from mine.
“Excuse me, I’m very concise,” I argued weakly.
Roxie arched an eyebrow. “Liv, last week you took twenty minutes to tell me how the cashier at Target gave you the wrong change.”
“That was important!”
“Uh-huh.” Roxie sipped her coffee like the picture of judgment.
“Ladies,” Cali broke in, laughter in her voice. “Focus. Liv, out with it.”
I wrapped my hands around my mug, letting the warmth soak into my palms. “So … there’s Talon.”