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The evening unfolded lazily, the way only the first real night of something special can.

After the shower and the amazing sex that was had, and the feeling of being in Jon’s world—a place that was so new and yet somehow felt right—I found myself curled up on the couch, wearing one of his oversized hoodies, sipping on the cup of fireball I promised I’d never drink again.

The house felt warm, almost like a soft blanket around us, and with every passing minute, I felt the earlier tension in my shoulders melt away.

Jon had changed into a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt, looking effortlessly comfortable and my mischievous mind eyed his dick print in those sweatpants “Well gosh darn it Delilah, you’ve done it again with the amazing judgment of penis size, I knew that man was packing a serious punch in his boxers” I thought in my idiotic inner voice.

His usual easy smile was still there, but there was something more to it now, something deeper in his eyes as he sat beside me.

He looked at me like he was seeing me for the first time, or maybe for the thousandth—hard to say, but either way, it made my heart skip a beat.

“Nacho’s been so quiet,” I said, glancing down at my dog, who was snoring peacefully at my feet, curled into a ball on the rug.

“I think he’s finally recovering from the jet lag.” Jon laughed softly.

“He’s got a good sense of timing, doesn’t he?”

“I’m sure he’s just getting used to Idaho Falls.” I smiled, leaning back into the couch, feeling a little bit like I was in a dream.

“It’s... it’s a beautiful place. I never imagined it would be so picturesque.”

Jon nodded, his gaze drifting toward the window where the light from a distant streetlamp cast a soft glow over the snow outside. The falling snowflakes seemed to glow under the streetlights, creating this perfect, peaceful scene.

“It’s quiet, isn’t it?” he said, his voice thoughtful.

“I like it. Sometimes, it feels like it’s just me and the world.”

“I can see that,” I said, my gaze following his.

There was something about the way he spoke about the town like it was more than just a place to him—it was home.

The thought made me realize that I had no idea where my sense of home was.

For the longest time, I had thought it would be in Texas, surrounded by my family.

But now, sitting here with Jon, in a house I’d never seen before, I wondered if maybe home was more about the people you were with than the place itself.

“I think I could get used to this,” I said softly .

Jon looked over at me, his expression unreadable for a moment. But then, a slow smile spread across his face.

“I’m glad to hear that. You’re always welcome here.

” I felt my heart race a little at the unspoken promise in his words.

It wasn’t just the invitation to stay—it was the possibility of something more, something that had been building between us since the moment we met.

The air in the room shifted slightly, and I realized I was holding my breath, waiting for something.

Then almost immediately, I heard a door slam in the basement and Jon’s face immediately got drained of happiness.

“ FUCK, Blake’s charity case just got home, I guess it’s about time you get to officially meet everyone and have a pretend family dinner, Patricia’s here too”

I reached into my suitcase and pulled out my emergency comfort outfit: the holy trinity of shame—sweatpants, a slightly oversized Star Wars T-shirt (Luke Skywalker, don’t fail me now), and socks that didn’t match but, hey, neither do most couples on 'Love Is Blind.' I gave myself a quick look in the mirror and tried my best to smooth down my hair and my freshly fucked face. I didn’t exactly scream “wholesome houseguest,” but I also didn’t scream “just spent two days stranded in travel hell, now freshly defiled,” so I counted that as a win.

As soon as we walked upstairs, the room went from chatter to absolute silence.

You know that awkward moment in a rom-com when the record scratches and everyone turns to look at the new girl?

Yeah, that. Staring back at me from the dining room table were four people and two absurdly photogenic dogs.

There was a tall, model-esque blonde who looked like she’d cry during a perfume commercial—definitely Lauren, Blake’s “charity case.” Beside her was a short guy with Spanish soap opera vibes, who I was guessing was either her boyfriend or a very clingy emotional support human.

Then there was a petite, on the chunkier than me side blonde with a sharp bob and a “quiet mouse” aura—Patricia, Blake’s girlfriend.

She had the kind of vibe that made me think she judged people more than she looked in the mirror at the person staring back.

You know, just in case she could smell the sex.

And then the dogs. Oh, the dogs. Two stunning blue heelers, the kind of dogs that probably have more followers than I do.

“That’s Kara and Hero,” Blake said like we were being introduced to royalty.

“They’d love to meet Nacho.”

Nacho, for his part, wagged his tail like this was the best day of his life.

I introduced myself, trying not to sound like I’d just crawled out of a romance novel and straight into someone’s family dinner.

On the kitchen counter, I spotted the meal Jon had made—smoked fish, fluffy rice, and freshly steamed broccoli.

All of it looked like something out of a healthy living magazine, which was ironic, considering I’d lived on stale airport pretzels and passive aggression for the last 24 hours.

So yeah. Welcome to Idaho Falls. Please don’t mind my post-coital glow or the fact that your dinner smells better than my dignity.

We all sat down to the kind of meal that made me question every mediocre Tinder date I’d ever tolerated.

Jon—this infuriatingly gorgeous, lumberjack-coded man—had whipped up smoked fish, rice, and broccoli like he was auditioning for a cooking show and trying to seduce my parents at the same time.

Everyone at the table was lovely, warm, chatty—your basic wholesome dinner crew—except for Lauren’s so-called “handyman,” Tory.

And I say “handyman” in air quotes because the man gave off serious DIY exorcism vibes.

There was just something about him…maybe it was the way he laughed two seconds too late or the fact that he didn’t blink enough?

Either way, I filed him under ' Keep An Eye On That One ' and smiled through it.

We laughed about my epic, cursed journey from Houston to Idaho—me vs.

weather, airlines, and basic human patience—and everyone seemed genuinely sympathetic. Or at least entertained.

When we finished, I think they all sensed the bags under my eyes were threatening to unionize, because they offered to do the dishes so Jon and I could “get some rest.” Rest. Right.

That got a mutual eyebrow raise from Jon and I, because let’s be honest, the only “rest” on either of our minds was of the horizontal cardio variety.

We took Nacho outside so he could do his business in the snow, and he looked at us like we’d personally betrayed him.

My sweet, pampered Texas dog lifted one paw, glared at the snow-covered yard as if it owed him money, and then gave me a look that screamed You brought me to this frozen hellhole for THIS?

And then Jon and I descended into the basement—his cozy, man-scented bachelor dungeon—where “rest” was still absolutely not on the itinerary.

“Do you want to talk?” he asked, his voice a little softer now, more vulnerable.

“About... anything?”

I wasn’t sure what to say at first, but the words came anyway, spilling out before I could stop them.

“About everything, maybe. About this—us. How it feels so... right, but also a little scary. I’ve never been good at doing this—the whole ‘getting close’ thing. But with you, it’s different. I don’t know what it is, but it feels... easy. ”

Jon smiled, and there was something in his eyes—something soft and genuine.

“It’s different for me, too. I’ve never really met anyone like you. I guess I didn’t expect to feel this... connected so quickly.”

“Me neither,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

The silence stretched between us, comfortable and full of unspoken things.

I could feel the weight of the moment—the vulnerability, the connection—and it was more than I’d expected when I first landed in Idaho Falls.

But there was something about Jon that made it feel like everything had fallen into place.

As if, after all the turbulence in my life, I had finally found something solid to hold on to.

“So,” Jon said after a moment, breaking the silence.

“What do you want to do tomorrow? I was thinking we could go out, maybe see the falls. They’re frozen this time of year, but they’re still pretty spectacular.”

“That sounds perfect,” I said, my heart warming at the thought of spending the day exploring with him.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. I can’t wait.” Jon grinned, that same mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Good. Because we’re going to make sure you don’t miss a thing.” I laughed softly, feeling the butterflies return in full force.

There was something about the way he looked at me that made me feel like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

The evening drifted on, and as the night deepened, we both felt the pull of exhaustion from the day.

Jon leaned back into the bed, pulling me gently against him.

His arm wrapped around my shoulders, and for the first time in a long while, I felt a sense of calm settle over me.

“We should probably get some rest,” he murmured, his voice laced with a quiet tenderness.

“Yeah,” I agreed, resting my head against his chest.

“Big day tomorrow.” Jon pressed a soft kiss to the top of my head.