Page 124 of Lose You Twice

That pulls a laugh out of me before I can stop it.

His face changes at the sound, softens in a way that makes my chest hurt.

Once we reach my car, I turn to him. “Thanks for the water. And the snack.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Don’t sound so pleased with yourself.”

“I’m trying not to.”

“You’re failing.”

His mouth curves, and the silence stretches between us.

Less desperate, maybe, but still full of everything we haven’t said.

Kai shifts his bag higher on his shoulder. “About the other night.”

“My favorite opening.”

“I’m not asking you to define it.” He looks down for half a second, then back at me. “I don’t know what it is either.”

His honesty is almost too much to handle right now, and I can feel the hot sting of tears threatening to break free.

“But I know I don’t want to pretend it didn’t happen,” he says.

My fingers curl around my keys.

“I don’t either,” I admit.

He steps closer. “We don’t have to figure it out right now, especially when you’re not feeling great.”

A laugh slips out of me, small and disbelieving. “That’s very reasonable of you.”

He grins. “I can be reasonable.”

“You kissed me in a laundry room.”

He’s less than a foot away now. “Pretty sure you told me to.”

Tilting my head to keep his gaze, I can’t help the small smirk of my own. “I did.”

His gaze drops to my mouth.

My whole body goes warm.

The parking lot is not empty enough for this. The rink is still behind us. People could come out at any second. It would be stupid.

Kai seems to know that, too, because he doesn’t move closer.

“We shouldn’t do that at work again,” I say.

“I know,” he replies instantly.

A tiny, ridiculous part of me is offended.

He sees it. Of course he sees it.