In Between

She Wants It More

Y/N blinked slowly, her eyes adjusting to the dim light filtering through the curtains of the hotel room. Her body felt heavy, the soft sheets grounding her as the memory of skiing and getting stuck by the tree rushed back. She groaned slightly, her head throbbing.

As her vision cleared, she noticed a figure sitting beside her. Walker was slouched in the chair, his elbows resting on his knees, his phone clutched in one hand as he stared at the screen, deep in thought. His hair was messy, and his face looked exhausted, as if he hadn't slept at all.

"Walker?" Y/N's voice came out raspy, her throat dry.

His head snapped up immediately, relief flooding his face. "Y/N, thank God." He was by her side in an instant, kneeling by the bed. "How do you feel?"

"Like I got hit by a truck," she muttered, trying to sit up but wincing at the soreness in her muscles.

"Easy," Walker said, gently helping her adjust. "You were out for a while. I was starting to freak out."

Y/N leaned back against the pillows, taking a deep breath. "What happened?"

"You got stuck in the snow, and by the time I found you, you were halfway to hypothermia," he explained, his voice tight with worry. "I carried you down the mountain and brought you back here. You scared the hell out of me."

Her chest tightened at the thought of him carrying her. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Walker said quickly, his hand brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I'm just glad you're okay."

She looked at him, noticing the dark circles under his eyes and the tension in his expression. He had been sitting there, watching over her, worried and exhausted. Her heart swelled with emotion, and she couldn't help but feel the pull between them again.

"Walker..." she began, but he cut her off.

"There's something I need to tell you," he said, his tone serious as he sat back in the chair. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking as if he was searching for the right words. "I broke up with Lacy."

Y/N's eyes widened. "You did?"

"Yeah," he said, his voice low. "I realized I couldn't keep doing that to either of us. I wasn't being fair. Not to her, and definitely not to you."

Her mind raced, trying to process what he was saying. "Why now?"

"Because I've been thinking a lot. About you. About us." He looked up at her, his blue eyes filled with sincerity. "I can't keep pretending, Y/N. I want to be with you."

Her breath caught in her throat. This was what she had wanted for so long, but hearing him say it now, after everything that had happened, left her feeling conflicted. "Walker, this is a lot. We've been through so much, and..."

"I know it's complicated," he said, cutting her off gently. "But I don't care about that. I care about you. And I want to figure this out together, if you're willing to give us a chance."

Y/N's heart pounded in her chest. The truth was, she had been thinking about him too—more than she should have. She had tried to push it away, to focus on other things, but now it was all right in front of her.

She took a deep breath. "What about everything else? Our friends? The filming?"

"We'll deal with it," Walker said firmly. "But I can't keep lying to myself. I want you, Y/N. I want to take you out, properly."

Her lips curved into a small smile despite the confusion swirling in her mind. "You're asking me on a date?"

He chuckled softly, the tension in the room easing slightly. "Yeah, I am. A real date. No more hiding, no more pretending."

Y/N bit her lip, her emotions swirling. Part of her was still scared, still worried about what this would mean for everything else in her life. But another part of her, the part that had always felt drawn to him, wanted to take the risk.

"Okay," she said softly. "I'll go out with you."

Walker's face lit up with a smile, the relief and happiness shining in his eyes. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she nodded, her heart fluttering. "But let's take it slow, okay? We've got a lot to figure out."

"Slow sounds perfect," he said, reaching over to take her hand in his, his thumb brushing gently over her knuckles. "How about tomorrow? We can go somewhere nice. Just you and me."

"I'd like that," Y/N said, her heart finally settling into a steady rhythm.

For the first time in a long while, the tension between them felt manageable, like something they could work through together. It wasn't going to be easy, but they were no longer pretending. That was a start.

As Walker leaned back in the chair, still holding her hand, Y/N allowed herself to relax. Tomorrow they would face everything—their friends, the filming, the questions—but for now, she was content to just be in this moment, with him.