Page 62 of Stick Fight

She pulls back a little, but her hands stay on my chest. “Speaking of family,” she starts, “I had a nice talk with my parents tonight.”

My chest tightens a notch.

“They’d love to come visit. Or maybe even have me come home for a bit...” Her nose scrunches, like she’s searching, conflicted. “I told them I wasn’t sure that was the best idea. Not yet.”

She doesn’t say it, but I know what’s lingering under those words. Cass. She’s still worried about him showing up. About what he might say. About what he might convince her to do. And yeah, that thought lands like a sucker punch to my gut.

Does she still love him?

I mean, love like that doesn’t just vanish overnight, right? And if she’s still holding pieces of him in her heart... where is the room for me?

Is that what you want, Roman?

I don’t know but I do know that she hasn’t mentioned him, not once, and I’m not about to be the one who brings that ghost back into the room.

“I’m sure you miss them, Gabs,” I say gently, lifting a hand to her face. Her skin’s warm beneath my thumb as I brush it across her cheek.

“I do,” she says, blinking like her thoughts are far away. Then her eyes flick back to mine, a little more focused. “You must miss yours too. I’ve been here a whole month, and you haven’t talked about them. Haven’t even called.”

My shoulders lock up before I can stop them.

Shit.

I just got home. I’m tired. I don’t want to gothere.

She picks up on it. Because of course she does. Gabby’s sharp like that. She doesn’t push. Just slips on that soft, sunny smile like armor for both of us.

“I hope you’re hungry,” she says. “I made pasta.”

I press a hand to my stomach and grin. “Starved.”

Not just for food. Forthis.For her. For the way she makes everything else fade into the background, even the parts of me I’ve tried to forget.

“Good,” she whispers, and rises up on her toes to kiss me.

It starts soft, familiar, like muscle memory, and just when she’s about to pull away, I slide my hands around her waist and hold her there.

Tighter.

Closer.

Because right now, in this exact second, I don’t want to let her go.

Ever.

Goddammit.

She lets out a small laugh against my mouth, and I break the kiss fast as fear jolts through me. I can’t let myself fall for a woman who is only here a short time, a woman who might hold another man in her heart. Her brows lift slightly in surprise, but she doesn’t call me on it. Just gives me an out with a simple nod toward the hallway.

“There’s some mail on the side table,” she says casually. “Pretty sure one is a wedding invitation.”

I cross to the hall and flip through the envelopes. “Taylor and Elias,” I murmur, my heart tripping all over itself. “They’re getting married in Vegas.”

“Didn’t they already getmarried in Vegas?” she asks, smiling.

“Yeah. They didn’t realize what they were doing the first time. Now they want to redo it with their family and friends.”

She laughs, a soft, musical sound that settles in my chest. “It’s wild how life just... works itself out sometimes, huh?”

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