I choke a little.
Ozzy just… smiles. Slow. Unbothered. Dangerous. “We’re… together,” he says.
My face heats.
Millie claps softly like she’s delighted. “That’s adorable.”
Tripp laughs. “Millie lives for cute couples. It’s her whole brand.”
Millie gives him a look. “And you live for attention. That’syourbrand.”
Tripp touches his chest like he’s offended. “I’m a humble artist.”
Millie snorts. “Humble, sure.”
Ozzy’s eyes gleam. “I like them.”
I do too. Their banter feels like something I’ve watched from the outside my whole life. People who love each other teasing without fear. It makes something ache inside me, sharp and sweet.
I glance at the stack of books and pick one up, running my fingers over the cover.
Tripp leans forward. “You read romance?”
I hesitate, then shrug. “Sometimes. It’s hard to read something you don’t believe in.”
Tripp’s eyes meet mine, and a slow smile spreads. “Ah, a cynic,” his eyes meet Ozzy’s, “you’ve got your work cut out with this one.”
Ozzy smiles like he’s up for the challenge, and it surprises me. “We’re on a mission to open her up to new things. New experiences.”
Tripp nods like that’s a very serious answer. “Respect. Romance keeps the world spinning.”
Millie smiles warmly. “Do you want me to wrap it up for you?”
I blink. “Oh—I don’t have to?—”
Ozzy slides in smoothly. “We’ll take it.”
I glance at him, startled. He gives me a look that sayslet me.So, with a shrug, I let him. Millie rings it up and hands me the bag like it’s a gift.
Tripp signs the inside cover with a flourish, then looks up at us. “If you two get hungry, you should check out my family’s brewery restaurant.”
Ozzy tilts his head. “Brewery?”
Tripp nods. “Atta Boy. Best food in town. My brothers run it. Great beer. Great burgers. Great everything.”
Millie adds, “And if you tell them Tripp sent you, they’ll roll their eyes and pretend they don’t love him.”
Tripp grins. “They love me.”
Millie mouths,They tolerate you.
I laugh. A real laugh.
Tripp points at me like he caught it. “There it is. That laugh. Keep that.”
The words hit me unexpectedly.Keep that.Like it’s something worth protecting. I swallow and nod, not trusting my voice.
We leave the bookstore with the little bag swinging at my side, my heart oddly full. Outside, Ozzy looks down at me. “Atta Boy?”