Page 73 of How I Love You

“Why? Because you think it’s your responsibility to ‘fix’ things between us before you go?”

“No,” I said, turning my head to meet her gaze again. “Because you’re acting like you couldn’t care less that this is ending, and you clearly do. You wouldn’t be sitting here with me if you didn’t.”

She blinked, the impact of my words hanging in the air between us. Her lips parted slightly, like she wanted to argue—but she couldn’t. Not this time.

“What do you want me to say, Tucker? That I’m upset about it? That I’m not sure how to deal with it? Because yeah, I feel that way. Every day. But what good is dwellin’ on it gonna do us? It’s a lot more fun to just have fun with you than to talk about how much it’s gonna crush me when you leave.”

I’d started this conversation, but I wasn’t at all prepared for the weight of those words. So, even though I opened my mouth to reply, no words came out.

She leaned forward, shaking her head. “We both knew what this was from the start. So, we either keep things light and fun, or we keep havin’ these conversations that lead us in sad little circles, makin’ things harder than they need to be.”

I watched her, my chest tightening with every word she said, and I hated that she was right. We were stuck in a situation we couldn’t change.

But that didn’t make it any easier to swallow.

Silence stretched between us for a beat. I could feel her pulling away, putting up her walls again, and it riled me more than it should have. The man I was when I came into this strange little town was so far from the man on this stakeout that I hardly recognized myself.

I didn’t want walls. Not with her. Not now.

“So what?” I asked, my voice almost bitter. “We just pretend like none of it matters? Like it’s all casual and fun until I pack up and leave?”

Dakota shrugged, her smile forced as she reached for the blanket on her lap, pulling it tighter around herself. “If it means I get to have fun with you for a little longer, maybe I’m okay with that.”

There was a twinge of sadness in her eyes, and even though I could tell she was trying to hide it, whatever this was between us meant she didn’t stand a chance.

I started to reply—started to tell her… something, even though I didn’t know what. But then she sighed dramatically, throwing her head back against the seat. “You know what? Maybe I’ll stop bein’ your partner altogether and start workin’ against you, instead. Maybe I’ll start sabotagin’ the case from the inside out, so you’ll never leave Charlotte Oaks. You’ll be stuck here forever tryin’ to figure out what happened to the treasure.”

I let out a sharp breath, shaking my head at her ridiculousness even as I was grateful for a little of that fun she was so fond of. “You don’t think I’d give up on the case eventually and move on to the next one?”

She smirked. “Nah, I think you’d be happy for a reason to stay in Charlotte Oaks. Who knows? Maybe this town would grow on you. Like mold.”

I laughed, unable to hold it back this time. She always had a way of cutting through the tension, of finding the humor even when things were heavy. It was one of the things that’d first broken down my defenses, and right now, I was having a hard time remembering why I’d tried so hard not to fall for her in the first place.

Oh, right, because I was leaving.

But…

I leaned in closer, my voice dropping to a low rumble. “You don’t have to sabotage anythin’ to make me stay, Wildcard. I’ve already got more reasons than I know what to do with. All you gotta do is ask.”

Her breath hitched slightly, and for a moment, the air between us was thick with something unspoken. Her eyes flicked to my mouth, and I could feel the pull between us, that undeniable force that had been there since the start. The tension, the chemistry—it was all still there, humming between us like a live wire.

And just like that, the argument dissolved into something else. Something neither of us could deny.

I didn’t wait for her to make the first move. I closed the distance between us, my hand slipping behind her neck as I pulled her in for a kiss that felt like it had been building for days—weeks, even.

Her lips met mine, soft but urgent, like we were both afraid to let go. The weight of everything we hadn’t said hung between us—not to mention the offer I’d just given her that I wasn’t sure she took seriously.

After all, I gave her the chance… and she hadn’t asked.

But for now, the kiss was enough to keep the rest of the world at bay. It wasn’t a solution. It wasn’t an answer. But for now, it was enough.

22?/?

dakota

The hum of the fluorescent lights above was the only sound in the break room as I sat in the corner, my phone resting on my lap, staring at the screen. It had been a long shift, and my feet were aching, but that wasn’t what had me feeling restless. No, that honor belonged to the search results on my phone:Travel Nursing Opportunities – Colorado.

I scrolled through the list, each posting offering a short-term contract at a hospital in Denver, Boulder, or Fort Collins. I tapped into one, reading over the details. The pay was good—really good—and it would only be for a few weeks at a time. It would let me see the country, experience new places, and, most importantly… meet up with Tucker wherever he landed for a case.

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