11. Judd

Judd

A knock at the door jolts me out of my thoughts. I look up, and there he is. Nakul. Standing in the doorway like he belongs here, like this is normal. My stomach twists, my hands tightening on the edges of the desk. “Hey,” I manage, my voice rough. Spending an entire weekend focused on that kiss has ruined me, mostly because I can’t think about anything else.

“Hey,” he replies, stepping into the office and closing the door behind him. He looks nervous, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets, his long hair pulled back into a loose tie. For a second, neither of us says anything.

I break first, gesturing vaguely at my desk. “I’m, uh, just working. Trying to catch up on things.” He can see straight through that lie and I hate that I’ve been dodging a much-needed conversation the past few days. I’ve been short with him, acting like a child instead of just facing him like an adult.

Nakul nods, but his eyes stay on me, searching, waiting. “We need to talk.”

My heart starts pounding. I look away, shuffling the papers in front of me. “About Friday?”

“Yeah,” he says softly. “About Friday.”

I nod, still not meeting his eyes. “I’m confused,” I blurt out. “It’s just… a lot right now.”

“I know,” he says, his voice steady. “And I’m sorry. If I—”

“Don’t,” I snap, straightening up so fast that the stack of papers I was fiddling with spread across my desk and flutter to the floor. I’m in his face before I realize what I’m doing. “Don’t apologize unless you think it was a mistake.”

He blinks, caught off guard. “Do you think it was?”

“I don’t know!” The words come out louder than I mean them to, my frustration boiling over as I throw my hands in the air. “I don’t know what I want, okay? I like talking to you. I like being around you. But I don’t—” My voice cracks and I trail off, running a hand through my hair.

“But you don’t know what this is,” he finishes for me, his voice just above a whisper.

I nod, swallowing hard. “Yeah.”

Nakul steps closer, his movements slow and deliberate, like he’s giving me every chance to pull away. “Whatever happens, happens,” he says softly. “Can I kiss you again?”

The question sends a jolt through me. My first instinct is to say no, to push him away and retreat into the safety of what I know. But I can’t. Because the truth is, I want it. I want him.

“Yes,” I whisper.

His hand brushes my jaw, tilting my face up, and then his lips are on mine. This kiss is nothing like our first. It’s not rushed, not fueled by alcohol or confusion. It’s soft and sweet, full of unspoken promises. His fingers linger against my cheek, his thumb brushing my skin, and for a moment, everything else fades away.

When we pull apart, I take a shaky breath, my forehead resting against his. “I don’t know how this is supposed to work,” I admit. “I have Stevie. And you’re leaving after the construction project is done, so—”

“I’m not leaving,” he interrupts. “I live in the next town over. I’m not going anywhere, Judd.”

That revelation hits me harder than it should. He’s not leaving. He’s here.

“Dinner?” he asks, a small smile tugging at his lips.

I chew on my bottom lip, my thoughts spinning. But then I nod. “Yeah. Dinner at mine?”

He grins, stepping back. “I’ll meet you at yours at seven.”

And just like that, he’s gone, disappearing out the door before I can even process what just happened. I sink into my chair, staring at the closed door, my heart racing.

I don’t have long to sit in stunned silence before the door bursts open again. This time, it’s Athena and Jess and they both look like they’re ready for a fight.

“Well?” Jess demands, crossing her arms over her chest. “What’s going on?”

I groan, leaning back in my chair. “Nothing.”

Athena raises an eyebrow. “That didn’t look like nothing.”

I sigh, rubbing my temples. “Fine. We went out on Friday night. Things got… heated. And I kind of like him, okay? But don’t tell Mom. Please. Not yet.”

Jess’ eyes widen and then she grins. “Called it,” she says, nudging Athena as she wiggles her fingers. Athena sighs and slaps a $20 into Jess’ open palm. “I get dibs on babysitting Stevie tonight.” I open my mouth to refute that when she cuts me off. “Judd, you’ve been hoarding our niece and we’re only ever in town during the holidays. We’re going to soak up every last minute with her while you finally learn to have some fun.”

Athena just stares at me, her expression unreadable. “Are you sure about this?” she asks after a moment. “You’ve been through a lot with Ava. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I’m sure,” I say, though my voice wavers slightly. “It’s scary, but… it’s something I want.”

Jess claps her hands together, her grin widening. “Well, in that case, what are you going to wear?”

I blink, caught off guard. “I don’t know. Whatever I find.”

They exchange a look, then turn back to me in unison. “You’re dense,” Athena says. “This is a date. You need to dress nice.”

“I don’t even know what ‘nice’ means,” I protest.

Jess cackles, shaking her head. “When I come over for Stevie, I’ll help you pick something out. God forbid our brother gets tossed because he can’t dress right.”

I find myself laughing with her and Athena, enjoying a moment we haven’t shared in years. Living in different cities, finding our paths, and falling apart has made it harder to connect with each other but I’m seeing that as each of us finds ourselves, we’re coming together again.