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He goes quiet and I’d bet good money that he’s already thinking of apartment complexes near him. Finding a place isn’t going to be an issue. I’m not overly fussy and as long as I’m not on the other side of the country from him, it will be fine.

“The complex I live in is fairly new. Actually, they’re building phase two, and I know all the units aren’t rented yet. I could maybe show it to you online tomorrow if you’d like.”

“Mmm…that sounds great. Like I said, this all just came to me, but I guess it’s never too soon to start looking.”

We lay there in companionable silence, my head resting lightly on his shoulder. His hand is gently stroking my arm, the warmth of his touch steady and reassuring. We’re clearly both lost in our own thoughts, but there’s no rush, no need to speak. The silence between us is comfortable.

Ash turns slightly, brushing a strand of hair from my face.

I look up at him with a soft smile, his eyes holding a tenderness that doesn’t need to be explained.

His fingers move up to graze my cheek, lingering for a moment, before he leans down to press a soft kiss on my forehead.

It’s a simple gesture, yet—again—it feels like the most intimate of connections.

I turn my face into his touch, my hand moving to rest on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart.

There’s a sense of calm between us—a stark contrast to the passionate kiss of just moments ago, an unspoken bond that transcends anything we can articulate.

Every little gesture, every soft touch, speaks volumes.

As we sit here, wrapped in the quiet warmth of the moment, it’s as if nothing else exists but this shared space.

No words, no distractions—just the quiet intimacy of being fully present with each other.

I’ve never been one who enjoyed long silences.

I mean, I live a fairly solitary life and I’m used to the quietness, but never when I’m with someone.

Typically, I want to fill any lull with dialogue or some sort of action.

But not with Ash.

My eyes feel heavy, and yet I don’t want to stop looking at him. I want to ask him about where he lives, but I don’t want to disturb our peace. I want to feel his touch everywhere, but I love that we don’t have to be doing anything physical.

I have no idea how much time passes, but ultimately, he’s the one to speak.

“Do you think the movies tomorrow night are going to inspire you to start writing?”

“Maybe. I have a feeling I’m too distracted to really begin anything. I’m enjoying being at the beach and having this time with everyone.” I smooth my hand over his bare chest and sigh. “And if we’re going for total transparency, I don’t want to start writing until after you leave.”

His eyes go a little wide. “Why?”

“Ash…come on. We have so little time together. The clock is literally ticking. When I start a book, I go in hard and don’t resurface very often. I think this trip is going to be more about coming up with a plot and outline that I can give to my editor.”

“Have you talked to her since you’ve been here?”

I shake my head. “I told her about the funeral and this trip, so she’s not expecting to hear from me until I’m back in Seattle.”

“Is that where her office is?”

“No, she’s up in New York. I’ve only been to see her in person a handful of times. Sometimes we’ll meet up at a conference and have lunch or dinner together, but other than that, everything that I do is handled remotely.”

“I wish I could do that,” he admits. “Well…it’s what I’m working towards. I’m the guy who gets sent out to do a lot of troubleshooting. Not to brag, but…I’m fantastic at what I do.”

That makes me smile because he is the least braggy person I’ve ever met.

“There are other guys who could go out on the on-site calls, but most of them end up being assigned to me.”

“Your bosses must really trust you.”

He nods. “It used to be fun. Even though the hours were long, it was a great way to travel and see places I wouldn’t normally see.

Unfortunately, I’m not seeing any places that thrill me.

Denver was great and I love the food and I’ve done some of the touristy things, but…

after being here this week? I’d freaking love to get assigned someplace coastal. ”

“You mentioned that you don’t have any coastal clients,” I remind him.

“None that I know of, but that doesn’t mean we don’t. I want to say we recently started working with a few in California.” He laughs softly. “Maybe I should mention that to my bosses, that we need to find more clients with an ocean view.”

We both laugh quietly before sighing and snuggling a little lower under the blankets. I think the day is catching up with us. I feel my entire body relaxing, and I’m losing the battle with keeping my eyes open.

“Liv?” he whispers.

“Hmm?” I barely get the sound out.

“I understand now.”

It takes a Herculean effort, but I open my eyes. “Understand what?”

“What all the songs are about.”

Maybe I’m dreaming because none of this is making sense. My confusion must be obvious, because he just smiles sweetly at me, caressing my cheek, and gently urges me to lie back on my pillow.

“All the love songs. I’m just laying here looking at you and…

I don’t want to stop. There’s a song—I want to say by Aerosmith or something—where the chorus says how I don’t want to close my eyes or fall asleep because I don’t want to miss a thing.

That’s how I feel right now. I get it. I never did before, but… now I do.”

I swear I want to say something equally romantic to him, but my brain just isn’t cooperating. All I can say is, “I get it too.”

He kisses me—a whisper soft brush against my lips—before saying, “Goodnight. Sweet dreams.”

I spend the rest of the night dreaming of the two of us running along the beach while every love song I ever heard plays.

Sweet dreams indeed.