Page 35 of Boulder's Weight

I want to press for more details, but something in her tone tells me not to push.

Not yet.

The fact that she's sharing anything at all feels like a victory.

"Why didn’t you want to tell me any of this before?" I ask, putting the pieces together. "Are you afraid of your family? Afraid if I got involved?"

She tenses against me, and I wonder if I've pushed too far.

But then she nods, a small movement against my chest.

"Yeah," she whispers. "I didn’t want you getting mixed up in anything. It wasn’t your place. Wasn’t your problem."

I tighten my arms around her, a fierce need to protect her surging through me. "Not your place to tell me what I can and can’t do. I’d make sure he never put his hands on you ever again."

She lifts her head again, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Somehow I have no doubt about that."

CHAPTERFIVE

Kelsey

The quiet hum of the espresso machine is soothing as I wipe down the counter for what feels like the hundredth time.

It's been a week since I started working at CatsAndJava, and already, the routine feels familiar.

Comforting, even.

The steady rhythm of customers coming and going, the cats weaving between tables, the smell of coffee and pastries—it's a slice of normalcy I cling to like a lifeline.

"You're good with her," Astra comments, nodding toward Luna, the skittish tabby who's taken to following me around during my shifts.

I smile, reaching down to scratch behind Luna's ears. "She’s a total sweetheart, you know? She really just needs patience. Time to learn who she can trust. "

"Don't we all," Astra replies with a knowing look that makes me wonder how much she's figured out about me.

The morning rush has died down, leaving just a couple of regulars nursing their drinks in the corner and a young woman cooing over the cats in the play area.

Astra leans against the counter beside me.

"So," she says casually, "how have things been going so far? Found any good spots worth checking out?"

I tense slightly, remembering she knows I’m here for good. "It's been nice. Mostly just working and exploring the area around my rental."

"And hanging out with Boulder," she adds, a hint of amusement in her eyes.

Heat rushes to my face. "How did you?—"

"It's a small city, Kelsey, even smaller when you’re American," she says with a shrug. "Word gets around. Especially when one of our prospects starts spending time with the ‘new girl’ in town."

I busy myself with refilling the napkin dispenser, avoiding her gaze. "It's nothing serious. Just... passing time while I'm here."

"Mm-hmm," Astra hums, clearly unconvinced. "As far as I know, you’re here for good… so why have I heard he thinks you’re here on vacation?"

The question makes my stomach twist.

I debate telling her the truth, and I try to figure out how to say it. "Things are complicated between me and Boulder. We’ve hooked up a couple of times in the past, and I’m not looking for a distraction."

Astra studies me for a moment, her eyes sharper than they have any right to be.

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