After the Blaze by Louisa Masters

Author:Louisa Masters [Masters, Louisa]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2020-06-01T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Three

April 2020

The bell above the shop door chimes, and I look up with a smile on my face. It’s been a boring day of inventory management, and I’ll gladly welcome a gossipy customer.

Except it’s not a gossipy customer.

It’s Archie.

My smile becomes a little forced. Not because I’m not glad to see him—I am. I’m always glad to see him. But since that night he turned up on my doorstep—or rather, the next morning, when his alarm woke us to find me twined around him, clinging like a limpet—things have been… weird between us. That’s normal, right? If you wake up basically rubbing up on a friend, it’s bound to cause some strange vibes.

So yes, I’m glad to see him, but I wish I’d had time to prepare.

“Hey. Aren’t you supposed to be working?” I tease, and he grins.

“I took the day off, since I had to work on Sunday. Can you break for lunch?”

I think about it. “I can’t leave the store,” I say regretfully. “Aunt Hannah’s not here today, and the courier is coming with a delivery. If I’m not here, he’ll take it back to the depot and we won’t get it until next week… and then your grandmother and all the other Saturday ladies will murder me.”

He laughs. “I can’t even say you’re exaggerating. What if I get us something and bring it back here?”

“Perfect. I’d love a burger.” I bat my eyelashes at him exaggeratedly, and he rolls his eyes.

“Burgers it is. I’ll be back.” He leaves, and I sink onto the stool behind the counter. Phew. At least now I have some time to get myself together.

I’m not going to lie; after he spent the night at my place, I had these vague, unspoken hopes that maybe things would change between us… but I didn’t think it would be like this, with this unacknowledged awkward edge. I mean, if a guy turns up on your doorstep when he’s tired and traumatized instead of going home to his loving family or to one of his lifelong friends nearby, it’s safe to assume that means something, right?

And when that same guy insists you sleep in the bed with him, even though there’s a perfectly good daybed next door that you fit comfortably on… well, that means something too. Right?

And when you wake up tangled up in each other, both semi-aroused, and snuggle closer for a moment before reality sets in and you both reluctantly let go… that definitely means something.

Or am I just deluding myself?

Because Archie got dressed, ate the breakfast I made, gave profuse thanks, and left without saying anything else. And since then, he hasn’t mentioned that night at all.

I guess I could take the initiative. I could bring it up. I could drag this… this tension between us into the open and demand that we talk about it. I could tell him I’m madly in love with him and don’t want to pretend anymore.

But what if he doesn’t want that? What if I lose him completely? His friendship is so important to me.

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