Page 25 of Max Bannon

That got another faint smile from her. “I’ve just never been good at small talk.”

“Good thing I’m fluent in awkward silences,” I said. “They were basically our second language during recon missions.”

She laughed, then caught herself, like she wasn’t sure she was allowed to enjoy being here. The smile dimmed, and she glanced out the window.

“You ever feel like you’re somewhere you weren’t really invited?” she asked quietly.

The question hit me square in the chest.

I didn’t know exactly what she meant, but I could guess.

“Yeah,” I said. “Sometimes I still feel like that. Even after all this time on the mountain.”

She nodded, fiddling with her napkin. “It’s a weird thing. Feeling welcome and out of place at the same time.”

I studied her face, the way her eyes flicked away from mine every time I looked at her too long.

“You didn’t always feel that way,” I said slowly.

Her fingers stilled.

“No,” she admitted. “I didn’t.”

I waited, gave her the space to keep talking, but she just shook her head and picked up a chip this time, dipping it in salsa.

“I like it here, Max. I like the mountain. The people. Even Junior and his ridiculous advice.” She finally looked at me. “But sometimes… people say things, and it changes things. You know?”

There it was. Not a full confession, but enough to make my gut twist.

I kept my voice steady. “Tessa, if I said something—if someone else did—”

“No,” she cut in quickly. “It’s fine. I just—I guess I realized I had my hopes up. And that’s on me.”

My throat tightened.

She wasn’t angry. She wasn’t accusing me.

But she’d definitely overheard something.

And whatever it was, it hurt.

“I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like you weren’t wanted here,” I said, my voice low. “That was never the case. Not even for a second.”

She looked down at her plate, blinking fast. “I know.”

I wanted to say more. To ask what she heard. To explain myself. But something told me this wasn’t the moment.

Instead, I just sat there, watching her slowly let her walls come down, hoping like hell I could earn her trust back.

14

Tessa

The sound of gravel crunching faded as Max’s truck pulled away. I stood on my front porch for a moment, staring out into the quiet night. The mountain air was cool, brushing against my skin like a sigh. Crickets sang their usual song, and somewhere in the trees, an owl called out once before falling silent again.

Dinner hadn’t gone how I thought it would.

I expected to sit across from him, stiff and uncomfortable, dodging eye contact and pretending I hadn’t heard him say I was justsome girlstaying in his house.

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