Page 53 of Haunt Me, Maybe

It was too familiar. Too interested. My mood dropped like a stone. He let his fingers linger on the edge of the counter, like he was hoping she’d notice. And she did, but only long enough to step back, polite and distant in that way she’d learned to be.

My jaw tightened anyway.

I didn’t know what was wrong with me. Men were going to be interested in Aven—I mean, look at her—but that didn’t give me permission to lose my shit over it. The lights flickered, and Aven’s head tilted, like she could sense it was me and not the ancient wiring acting up. The guy finally got the hint when Aven moved to the other end of the counter and stayed there, but I was still keyed up from watching him drool over her.

When the rush thinned and Aven ducked into the back to grab more mugs, I followed, materializing a little too sharply by the storage shelves. She startled, narrowing her eyes.

“You’re scowling,” she said, and leaned against the nearest rack.

“I am not.” Real mature.

“You absolutely are.” She laughed, folding her arms. “What’s wrong with you?”

I glanced toward the door, to where I could barely make out the flannel sleeve of the guy I’d dubbed “shitface” in my mind.

Tilting my head in his direction, I ground out, “That guy.”

Her brows furrowed. “What guy?”

“The one hovering.”

She blinked once, then twice, her dark lashes nearly brushing her cheeks.

“Oh,” she said slowly. And then—because of fucking course she thought it was funny—she smiled. A small, knowing thing. “Are you jealous?”

“No.”

My reply was far too fast to be convincing, and I winced. Could I be any more obvious? Embarrassment crawled up my neck, flooding me with the kind of heat I hadn’t felt in a while. For the first time, I actually wished to be invisible. Aven stepped closer, tilting her head and studying me like she saw something interesting.

“You phased back here to brood at me.” Her tone held a hint of a tease. “That feels like jealousy.”

I opened my mouth to argue, or apologize, I wasn’t sure which, when she reached out and brushed her fingers against my wrist. It was nothing. Barely even contact. But my entire attention locked onto it anyway. She felt warmer than the room and far steadier than the noise of my heart going nuts in my chest.

“I don’t like people crowding you,” I finally admitted, chin tucked and eyes locked on where we touched.

Her breath caught. “Why?”

Because I knew how easily fear taught her how to disappear. Because I saw how careful she still was. Because I didn’t want anyone thinking they got to take up space that was reserved for me. But I didn’t say any of that. No. I opened my mouth and…

“Because,” I said instead. “You’re mine.”

Her eyes went wide, and a sick sense of delight bloomed within me.

“Wes,” she whispered.

I stepped into her space, bracing a hand on the shelf behind her. The room felt charged. It was always like this between us, from the very beginning.

“I’m not saying you belong to me like a thing. You’re your own person,” I added, low. “But it’s still a fact.”

It also wasn’t the first time I’d declared it. I figured the more she heard it, the more it was true. Manifestation and all that shit. She swallowed and then did something brave—she lifted her chin. Purple eyes met mine in a silent declaration, and when her lips parted, I didn’t hesitate to accept their invitation.

I wasn’t gentle, but I didn’t rush things either. I pressed a promise to her mouth, a reminder that I was here—that I wouldn’t fade under her scrutiny. Even when my emotions made me want to hide. Her hands fisted in my jacket, and when I pulled back, her breath was unsteady.

Footsteps passed outside the door, and we separated so that it wouldn’t look strange if someone stuck their head in here. She smoothed her apron, cheeks burning. Her tongue wet her bottom lip, nibbled at it, and then swiped again.

“Later,” she hedged, voice quiet but earnest. “I want—can I…touch you?”

My pulse did something strange at the question. It took off hard enough that, for a moment, I could pretend I was alive. I had to swallow a couple of times before I could answer. And then it was to reply with something stupid.