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"Geri!"

I froze at the sound of Con's voice. Of course he would be here now, when I was least prepared to face him.

"Hey," I said, turning to see him jogging toward me, his breath visible in the cold air.

"How was your shift?" he asked, falling into step beside me. "Cam said he saw you at the bar."

My heart skipped. "Did he say anything else?"

Con gave me a curious look. "No, should he have?"

"No," I said quickly. "It was just a normal shift."

We walked in silence for a moment, the snow crunching beneath our boots. I stole glances at him, trying to see if what Cam had said was true. Did Con look at me differently than helooked at other people? Did his eyes linger a second too long? Did his smile hold a secret meaning?

"You okay?" Con asked, breaking into my thoughts. "You seem... distracted."

"I got a text from Matt yesterday," I blurted out, immediately regretting bringing it up. But I needed to talk about something, anything other than what Cam had told me.

Con's expression darkened slightly. "What did he want?"

"To see me," I said with a shrug. "I haven't replied."

"Are you going to?"

I looked at Con, really looked at him. Was that concern in his eyes? Or something deeper?

"I don't know," I admitted. "Part of me is curious, but... I've been doing so well here. I don't want to go backward."

Con nodded, his expression unreadable in the dim light of the street lamps. "You deserve better than him, Geri."

"Do I?" I asked, the question slipping out before I could stop it.

He stopped walking and turned to face me. "Yes," he said firmly. "You deserve someone who sees how amazing you are. Someone who wouldn't dream of ghosting you or playing games with your heart. Someone who would choose you every single day."

My breath caught in my throat. The intensity in his eyes, the conviction in his voice—was this what Cam was talking about?

"Someone like you?" I whispered, the words hanging in the frosty air between us.

Con's eyes widened slightly, and for a moment, I thought I'd made a terrible mistake. But then his expression softened, and he reached out, his gloved hand gently brushing a strand of hair from my face.

"I would never hurt you, Geri," he said softly. "Not if I could help it."

It wasn't a declaration of love, but it wasn't a denial either. My heart pounded in my chest as we stood there, the moment stretching between us like a thread pulled taut.

"I should get back," I said finally, breaking the spell. "Early shift tomorrow."

Con nodded, dropping his hand. "I'll walk you."

We continued in silence, the tension between us palpable. When we reached my hotel, I turned to say goodnight, but the words died on my lips as I saw the look in his eyes—a mixture of hope and fear that mirrored my own conflicted feelings.

"Goodnight, Geri," he said, his voice low.

"Goodnight, Con," I replied, slipping inside before I could do something impulsive, like kiss him or run away.

Back in my room, I found Lily already asleep, her soft snores filling the small space. I changed into my pyjamas and climbed into bed, but sleep eluded me. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions.

If Con did love me, what did that mean for our friendship? Could I risk losing that for something more? And did I even feel the same way? I cared for him deeply, trusted him more than almost anyone, enjoyed his company... but was that love?