The morning after their walk felt different—and Sienna knew it the moment she woke. It wasn’t dramatic, not a burst of energy or a sudden revelation. It was quieter than that. A warmth settled beneath her ribs, steady and persistent, like something had quietly shifted into place overnight.
She dressed slowly, fingers pausing on buttons as her mind drifted back to the moment she told Liam yes—the soft breath she’d taken, the way the mist clung to them, how his shoulders had relaxed like he’d been holding a question for far too long.
She didn’t regret it. Not for a second.
The walk to the library felt shorter. Maybe because she wasn’t trying to rush past her own thoughts anymore. The rain was light, brushing her coat like a familiar touch. Willowridge had not changed, but she had, and somehow the gray looked softer today.
When she reached the library door, she saw him.
Liam stood under the awning, hands in his jacket pockets, hair damp from the mist. He wasn’t holding coffee today. He wasn’t holding anything. He was just waiting.
When he noticed her, a smile formed—not rushed, not bright, but warm. Measured. Like he’d decided it was okay to show a little more.
“Morning,” he said.
Her breath caught in a way she didn’t try to hide. “Morning.”
He stepped aside so she could open the door, but for a moment neither of them moved. They stood in the thin mist, the door handle cold under her fingers, the quiet stretching like a soft thread between them.
“Did you sleep alright?” he asked.
She nodded. “Better than I expected.”
“Me too.”
They shared a look that said more than either dared to voice yet, then finally stepped inside.
The library was dim, untouched since closing. Sienna flicked on the lights and moved behind the counter. Liam didn’t sit at his usual table. Instead, he hovered a step closer than normal, as if testing new ground.
“Do you need help with anything this morning?” he asked.
She almost said no—habit, instinct—but she caught herself. “Actually… we got a shipment yesterday. It’d be nice to have an extra pair of hands.”
He brightened, subtle but unmistakable. “I’m on it.”
They worked side by side, the quiet familiar but newly charged. Every now and then, Sienna became aware of the way their arms moved in parallel, how he leaned slightly closer when asking where a book belonged, how she didn’t flinch from it.
At one point, their shoulders brushed—accidentally, lightly—and this time she didn’t freeze.
She let the warmth settle.
Around midmorning, Nora burst in with her usual whirlwind energy. “Good morning, universe! What have I missed?”
Then she saw them. Standing close. Not touching, but close enough.
Her eyes sharpened like a cat spotting a secret.
“Oh. Ohhh.”
Sienna felt her entire body prepare for impact.
But before she could deflect, Liam spoke.
“We’re good, Nora,” he said calmly. “Just helping out.”
Nora grinned. “Helping, huh? Uh-huh. Sure.”
Sienna expected embarrassment to rise, but instead she found herself… steady.
Maybe the first step had already taught her how to stand.
By late afternoon, the rain had deepened again, falling in slow, heavy sheets that blurred the edges of the town. Most patrons left early, murmuring goodbyes as they wrapped scarves tighter around their necks.
The library grew quiet—truly quiet—and Sienna found herself shelving the last few books with a calm she couldn’t remember feeling before.
Liam appeared beside her with a cart of returns. “Need help finishing up?”
She glanced at the nearly empty shelves. “Almost done.”
He nodded, but didn’t step away. “I like being here at closing. It’s peaceful.”
She slid a book into place. “It is.”
Their voices felt softer in the near-empty room, as though speaking too loudly might disturb something delicate. They worked in a comfortable rhythm, and when the final book found its place, Sienna exhaled.
“That’s it.”
Liam wiped his hands on his jeans—a habit, though he’d touched nothing messy. “Walk home again?”
Sienna hesitated for one heartbeat—
a habit—
then let it go.
“Yes.”
Outside, the rain pattered heavier than earlier, the ground shining with reflections of streetlights. He opened his umbrella, and without a word, she moved to stand beside him. It felt natural. It felt chosen.
They walked slowly, the rain forming a cocoon around them.
Halfway to her building, Liam spoke.
“I keep thinking about what you said the other night.”
Sienna’s fingers tightened on the strap of her bag. “Which part?”
“That you like being around me. Even when we don’t say much.”
She felt her cheeks warm. “I meant it.”
“I know.” His voice softened. “I just… I like being around you too. More than I expected to.”
The rain filled the silence that followed, but it wasn’t an interruption—it was a curtain that let them breathe inside their own small world.
When they reached her building, Sienna turned to him beneath the umbrella.
“Liam?”
“Yeah?”
She drew in a breath—not a leap, just a step.
“Will you… stay for tea?”
His eyes widened just slightly. Not in surprise—
but in careful joy.
“I’d like that,” he said.
She unlocked the door, the warmth of her apartment spilling out. As they stepped inside, shaking off the rain, Sienna felt the moment settle around her like something fragile and new.
Not a confession.
Not a declaration.
Just a door opening.
Just a step.
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