Page 64 of Finders Keepers

But I can’t. Not yet. Because right now, when Gavin looks at me, he sees someone strong enough to float in a wind tunnel. Someone who laughs at silly questions and argues about duck-sized horses. Someone whole.

He doesn’t see the broken pieces I’m still trying to glue back together. Doesn’t see the nightmares that leave me gasping in the dark or how I check the locks three times before bed.

I’m not ready to shatter the way he looks at me. “It’s just complicated,” I finally say, forcing a small smile. “Sometimes change is good.”

He nods, and I see him consciously steering away from the topic. “Fair enough. Okay, new question: if you could instantly master any skill, but you had to give up your ability to taste chocolate forever, what would you pick?”

The knot in my chest loosens slightly as we fall back into safer territory. But the moment leaves me shaken, aware of how much I’m keeping hidden. How many walls I’ve built to protect myself and Sophie.

The rest of the drive passes with lighter conversation, but my mind keeps circling back to that moment. To the genuine interest and concern in his eyes. To the weight of secrets pressed against my chest.

Maybe someday I’ll be ready to tell him everything. Maybe someday I’ll trust that he won’t look at me differently, won’t see me as damaged goods. But for now, I guard my heart behind jokes about supernatural powers and fast-food preferences.

When we pull up to Ms. Lucy’s house, the porch light is on, casting a warm glow across the front yard.

Gavin turns off the engine but doesn’t move to get out right away.

“Thanks for tonight,” I say, breaking the silence. “I had fun.”

“Me too.” His voice is soft, almost hesitant. “Let me walk you to the door.”

We both step out into the evening air. The gravel crunches beneath our feet as we make our way up the path to Ms. Lucy’s front porch. Each step feels weighted with something unspoken.

At the bottom of the steps, Gavin pauses. “Bailey, can I ask you one more question before you go in?”

I turn to face him, the porch light illuminating half his face while leaving the other in shadow. “Sure.”

He takes a step closer, close enough that I can now smell his cologne. “Could I kiss you?”

My breath catches. For a split second, I’m back in my old life. Matt’s hands gripping my wrists too tight, his mouth demanding things I didn’t want to give. The memory flashes through me like lightning.

But this is different. This is Gavin. This is me, standing on my own two feet, making my own choices.

I want this. I want to reclaim what was taken from me, the right to choose who touches me, who kisses me. The right to feel something good, something that belongs only to me.

“Yes,” I whisper, and the word feels like freedom on my tongue.

He closes the distance between us, one hand gently cupping my cheek. His touch is light, asking permission with every movement. I close my eyes as his lips meet mine. Soft, warm, and undemanding.

The kiss lasts only seconds, but it spreads through me like wildfire. Not consuming, but warming places inside me I thought had gone cold forever. When he pulls away, his eyes search mine, and I see a reflection of my own wonder there.

“Goodnight, Bailey,” he says softly.

I touch my lips, still feeling the ghost of his kiss. “Goodnight, Gavin.”

As I turn, I hear him. “Hey Bailey?”

I turn back.

“For what it’s worth,” he says, “I think change looks good on you.”

I can’t help my small smile as I knock on the front door.

Maybe someday I’ll be brave enough to show my whole self to someone. Maybe someday I’ll trust enough to let someone see the whole truth of who I am. But for tonight, I’m content with small victories. Floating in the air, laughing at absurd questions, and letting someone see just a glimpse of the real me.

Istretch lazily in the morning sunlight streaming through my window, still wrapped in the warm cocoon of last night’s memories. My phone buzzes on the nightstand, startling me from my reverie. An unknown number from… Roanoke, Texas? The call ends before I can decide whether to answer.

I let my head fall back against the pillow, dismissing the mystery caller. My mind drifts back to Gavin, to the way he smiled, how safe his hand felt in mine. The kiss…

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