Echoes of Us

Chapter 2

Several months later, after Lucy had completed her rookie year, she and Tim began spending more time together outside of work.

It was always casual—grabbing a drink after a shift, discussing cases at the station. But the unspoken tension between them grew with each encounter. It felt like walking on a tightrope, one misstep away from something neither of them could name.

Then, one evening after a difficult day at the precinct, Tim invited her over for dinner. Lucy hesitated for a second before agreeing. It wasn't unusual for partners to hang out, but something about this felt different.

At his place, they sat across from each other at the table, eating takeout and sipping beer. The conversation flowed easily, as it often did when they weren't in uniform.

But there was an undercurrent to it tonight, a weight in the air. Lucy could feel her heart beating faster with each passing moment, the words she wasn't saying catching in her throat.

Tim was the first to break the silence. "You know... I've been thinking a lot about us," he started, his eyes fixed on his beer bottle, avoiding her gaze. Lucy's pulse quickened. "About... how things have changed between us since you finished your training."

She swallowed, her chest tightening. "What do you mean?" she asked, though she had a feeling she already knew.

Tim sighed, running a hand through his hair before finally meeting her eyes. "I've been trying to keep my distance. I don't want to make things complicated for you. But it's hard... because every time I look at you, I think about what could've been... what still could be."

Lucy's breath hitched. She had been waiting for this—this confession, this admission that he felt what she did. But now that it was happening, she wasn't sure how to respond. Her mind raced. Was this really happening? Could this work?

"I..." She trailed off, unsure of what to say. "Tim, I—"

"You don't have to say anything," he interrupted, his voice softer than she'd ever heard it. "I just... I needed you to know."

Lucy stared at him, her heart aching with a mix of fear and hope. She reached out, placing her hand over his on the table. "Tim... I feel the same way. But this isn't easy. It's not just us—it's our jobs, everything we've been through."

Tim nodded, a shadow of sadness passing over his face. "I know. But I can't pretend anymore. I don't want to."

And just like that, something shifted between them. The walls they had both so carefully built over the years began to crumble, and for the first time, they allowed themselves to be vulnerable.