Page 30 of The Captain's Curfew
He hums.
"That happened."
"Yeah."
"And?"
He exhales."And I’m not sorry."
I smile against his shirt."Good.Because I’m not either."
His arms tighten around me, like maybe he’s been holding back for so long he doesn’t know how to relax.
I slide my hand up to his jaw, gently tracing the line of his beard with my thumb."Can I ask you something?"
He shifts slightly so he can look at me, brow furrowed."Yeah."
"Why now?Why tonight?"
His answer is a long moment in coming.
Then, finally, he says, "Because you looked at me like I’m not a lost cause.Like you see something in me no one else does.And because I’m tired of pretending I don’t want you."
My heart cracks open a little wider.
Because same.
Because always.
The next few days blur into something that feels dangerously close to bliss.We don’t define it.We don’t talk about what it means.But we keep kissing.We keep touching.We keep finding excuses to be close—brushing shoulders at the sink, sharing long glances across the living room, pretending we’re not thinking about the next time we’ll be alone again.
I wake up one morning to the smell of coffee and the sound of Logan humming—humming—in the kitchen.I pad out in one of his hoodies and socks, my heart doing backflips at the sight of him pouring two mugs.
He looks up and smirks."You’re wearing my clothes."
"I look better in them."
He walks over and presses a kiss to my temple."Not wrong."
I grin into my mug.
God, I’m falling.
So fast.
So hard.
And then...
Everything shifts.
It happens in the middle of the day.I’m sitting at my desk editing the latest team content when my phone buzzes.
Declan:Hey, meeting at 3 to go over merch sales and sponsor requests.Can you be there?
Me:Yep, I’ll bring the engagement analytics too.
Declan:Thanks.Also, did you post that pic of Logan in the locker room?The one with the dog?
