Page 5

4

MIDNIGHT TALKS it was our new friendship, which I might have jeopardized by giving in to my horniness.

Trying to distract myself with games didn't help, so I ended up throwing on the first-best action movie I found online. I buried myself under all three throw blankets on the couch with Pounce's snout resting on my legs.

Shortly after midnight, my phone buzzed.

Matt

The shift went on forever. I'm wrecked. Just heading straight to bed now.

Something deflated in my chest. I stared at the message longer than I should have.

No ‘want to hang out?’ , no ‘when can I see you again?’ Just wrecked. Spent.

I told him to sleep well. He sent back a sleepy emoji.

For the rest of the night, I tried not to overthink it. I tried not to convince myself that it was a one-time thing, a moment that flared and burned out. Because the truth was, I didn’t know yet. Only the morning would tell. If he stopped showing up at the park, if the invitation to trivia night turned out to be nothing but a gentle way to ease me toward goodbye, well… then I’d know.

It didn’t help that my bedroom still smelled like him. The faint citrusy trace of his cologne was all over my pillows. I tossed and turned for two hours before finally slipping into restless sleep, and when morning came, my body resisted every urge to get up.

Pounce had another opinion on the matter, though.

He stationed himself at the side of the bed, nudging my foot with his cold snout. When I pulled my foot deeper under the covers, he made his way up, pressing his nose insistently against my face. I reached out and rubbed behind his right ear—his favorite spot—hoping to distract him and buy myself another five minutes of pretending.

It didn’t work.

A quiet bark was my first warning, and I knew better than to wait for a second one.

The scent of damp leaves filled the crisp air. A few sunbeams peeked through the clouds and lit up the foliage with a golden glow. Still not expecting anything, Pounce and I took our usual route. We crossed the small pedestrian bridge separating my street from the park, walked up the pathway toward the bench under the maple tree, and... there they were—Matt and Sora—already waiting by the bench.

Matt stood there with two coffees. When his eyes met mine, a slight grin tugged at his lips, and he gave me a quick nod, beckoning me over.

Sora pulled on her leash and yipped when she noticed Pounce. He responded just as eagerly, pulling ahead and urging me to hurry.

My steps felt lighter, almost like the air itself had lifted me up.

“Thought you might show,” Matt said, holding out one of the cups to me, as the dogs pressed their snouts together, tails wagging.

I couldn’t help it. I grinned back. “Stalker.”

“Can you blame me?”

Sora jumped back with a yip, stretching out her front paws as she raised her tail to the sky before barreling toward Pounce like a cannonball. Pounce barked once and leaped into play.

Matt and I stood there, both clinging to our coffees, watching them for a moment without saying anything. Then, without any warning, he pulled me into a hug. Not the kind we’d shared the night before. This one was awkward and slightly too hard. We were both laughing by the end of it, but it lingered just enough to mean something. “Sorry that I was so quiet yesterday,” he said, pulling back slightly. “Had a lot on my mind.”

“No worries,” I reassured him. The fact that he was here now was the only answer I needed. “How did the apartment viewing go?”

“Good,” he said, nodding vigorously. “Right size, decent price, close to work, the park, and... I actually signed a contract straight away.”

I felt a rush of warmth bloom in my chest. With a place this close, not even that would become an obstacle. The quiet mornings and shared walks wouldn't have to end. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” Another brief silence settled between us, broken only by the soft thud of paws and rustling leaves as the dogs played nearby. Matt cleared his throat and scuffed his foot lightly on the ground as if searching for the right words. “So, uh … what are you doing later?”

I glanced at him. “Why?”

He shrugged, looking a little too casual. “I have the day off and was thinking, I might come over. You know, hang out. See your Alley Fighte r mods in action. Maybe…” He hesitated, his smile tugging a little shy. “Figure out a new routine?”

“A routine,” I repeated.

“Yeah. You know… morning walks, coffee, dogs... maybe being open-minded together?”

And for once, I didn’t overthink. I just smiled and said, “I’d like that.”