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I watch her laugh and something unexpected is happening. Warmth forms in my belly. Interest, maybe even curiosity. And something else—empathy, maybe. The kind that creeps in before you realize it’s not just her you’re trying to protect.

“Can we get out of here now?” I ask softly.

She nods, still smiling.

I came here for answers. Now I’m wondering if I found something better. Something I wasn’t looking for.

I still say love’s chaos. But maybe it’s the kind worth choosing.

2

STACY

Ray Crawford.

Of all the people in the world, he’s the one who showed up when I needed someone most. Like the universe sent him to catch me midfall—just before I shattered. He showed up right as the floor gave way and kept me from being left crumpled and broken in the wreckage of another mistake.

At the bar, everything unraveled too fast. Ronnie—that son of a bitch—lied, right through his perfect smile. Through his stupid little laugh that I now realize was as fake as his perfectly rehearsed stories.

Married. He was fucking married.

And there I was. Moments away from having my heart handed to me, cut out by a broken beer glass by his furious wife when Ray arrived to save me.

No cape. No spotlight. Just calm, steady Ray—with that cool-eyed calm and the low, anchored voice that says,I’ve got this.And God, did he. It was little more than one look from him that had stopped disaster.

Ronnie’s wife hadn’t hurt me. She had left me stunned and shaking, but unharmed. Ray had led me out of there as if nothing happened. Like I hadn’t been one breath away from total humiliation.

Now in the quiet hum of my car, my mind won’t stop racing. I tighten my grip around the steering wheel. My body thrums with adrenaline, with nowhere for it to land. Every nerve is lit up. And all I can think about is Ray. How quiet he is, sitting in the passenger seat. How he doesn’t ask questions or try to make it better with dumb jokes or pity. He just sits, here with me. Quietly present and most of all, not judging.

I pull into Monica’s driveway and think that maybe this is my chance to say thank you. Maybe salvage something from the wreckage of the day. Maybe explore this tingling sensation in my heart.

“You could come in for a drink,” I say as casually as I can, though my voice wobbles a little.

This is the stupidest of my bright ideas. Or maybe the bravest. I can’t tell anymore.

I dig into my purse for the house keys, becoming suddenly aware of how dry my mouth is.

“Hmm.” His voice is soft, thoughtful. He looks at the front door for a moment as if passing judgment on it or something. “Okay. Funny thing. I've heard a lot about the doctor’s house, but I’ve never actually seen the inside.”

“It’s nice,” I say, climbing the steps to the porch and unlocking the door. The deadbolt clicks, loud in the silence. “What’ve you heard? I swear, if it’s the story about Raul busting in through that corner window, I’ve heard it a million times.”

Ray’s mouth curls. It’s not a full smile, but it’s close enough that warmth creeps across my chest.

“You mean when Raul broke her ex’s wrist? Yeah. That one does make the rounds.”

I step into the house and Ray follows in my wake. I flip on the lights and the warmth of Monica’s decor wraps around us. The air smells faintly of cinnamon and something floral—like the house itself is trying to hug you.

“Does he include the part about it scaring the crap out of her?” I ask over my shoulder, making my way to the kitchen. “She was all wide-eyed and shaky then, but now she can’t shut up about it. What can I get you?”

“Beer’s fine.”

I grab two and twist the cap off one before handing it to him. He stands at the infamous window, peering out like he’s watching a ghost—as if Raul might come crashing through all over again.

“Big enough opening,” Ray murmurs. “If I were him, I’d use it too.”

I linger a beat longer than necessary, watching him. The way his shoulders stretch under his shirt. The way his fingers gently curl around the neck of the bottle like it’s something delicate.

“I’ve never seen it,” I admit. “The shifting thing. Monica and Erica say it sounds like a machine gun going off.”