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Izzy

Can’t change who I am, Kiera.

There was another pause, then:

Kiera

Then yeah. I think I’d say yes.

Izzy didn’t realize she’d been holding her breath until she let it out in a slow, measured exhale.

Izzy

Good. Because I wasn’t just asking hypothetically.

She set her phone down on her desk, waiting, heart in her throat. The response came quickly this time.

Kiera

Then I guess I have a date with you.

Izzy stared at the words for a long moment, a slow smile pulling at her mouth before she even realized it. Warmth spreadthrough her, low and steady, like something waking up. She didn’t know what this was going to turn into, but for once, she couldn’t wait to find out.

CHAPTER 17

Kiera

Kiera satat the dining table in Danica and Pete’s house, her hands wrapped around a steaming mug of coffee. The room was warm and inviting, filled with signs of their life together — cozy mismatched mugs, a half-finished crossword on the counter, Pete’s leather jacket slung over a dining chair. The faint scent of cinnamon lingered, a memory of a recent breakfast.

Across from her, Danica leaned against the counter, sipping her own coffee, looking impossibly well-rested in an oversized CSU sweatshirt and joggers. The morning light filtered through the large kitchen windows, making her light brown hair glow golden, and she felt at ease around Danica for the first time in a long time.

Gladys lay sprawled on the floor beside them, her massive head resting on Kiera’s foot. She let out a deep, contented sigh, her stubby tail wagging slightly even in sleep.

“So,” Danica said, drawing out the word as she arched a brow. “Are we actually going to close the book on Telluride?”

Kiera took a long sip of her coffee, buying herself a few seconds. “Thought we already did.”

“We talked,” Danica said. “But I don’t think we finished.”

Kiera sighed and set her mug down. “Yeah. You’re right.”

She looked at Danica, her expression open for once — no edge, no evasion.

“I was wrong,” Kiera said quietly. “About all of it. I pushed too hard, I overstepped, and I didn’t listen when you told me what you needed. I wanted to fix things, but I wasn’t actually showing up for you in the way that mattered.”

Danica didn’t interrupt. She just waited.

Kiera’s voice dropped. “I hurt you. And I hate that I did.”

The silence between them stretched, but this time it didn’t feel uncomfortable. It felt honest.

“I appreciate you saying that,” Danica said finally. “I think I needed to hear it in plain language. No ‘I thought I was helping,’ no justifications. Just… that.”

“You deserved that the first time,” Kiera said, her voice tight. “I’m sorry, Dani.”

Danica reached across the counter and gave Kiera’s hand a squeeze. “Thank you.”

A beat. Then she smirked. “But if you try to fix my love life again, I’m calling in backup.”