Signals Crossed

29

When Mel opened her eyes, the room felt different.

Quiet.

Still.

For a second she didn't move, her mind slow and foggy from sleep—until instinct kicked in.

She reached beside her.

Empty.

Her hand brushed over cool sheets where Adam Horovitz had been.

Her stomach dropped slightly.

Then she realized—

She was in the bed.

Not half tangled with him like she remembered.

Not wrapped up in that warm, confusing, too-close moment from the night before.

He must've moved her.

Carefully.

After she fell asleep.

Mel sat up slowly, pulling the blanket tighter around herself as memories rushed back all at once.

The way she touched his face.

The way he looked at her.

The almost-confessions.

The almost-something-more.

Her cheeks flushed instantly.

God.

That actually happened.

A small, hopeful feeling sparked in her chest—

followed immediately by doubt.

Because if there was one thing Ad did better than anyone...

It was backing away when things got too real.

Joking it off.

Pretending it didn't mean anything.

She swallowed hard.

Please don't take it back.

⸻

"Time to get up, Mels. Pick-up game at the park."

Her heart sank instantly.

There it was.

Normal Ad.

Like nothing had shifted at all.

Like last night hadn't cracked something open between them.

She forced herself to look up.

He stood in the doorway, already dressed, already moving, already back to being him.

No hesitation.

No weirdness.

Just—

Ad.

Normally she would've lit up at that.

"Come on, slugger. Let's go!"

Slugger.

The word hit harder than it should've.

Mel's chest tightened painfully.

She nodded quickly, pushing the blanket off as she stood.

"Yeah. Okay."

She moved fast.

Too fast.

Because suddenly staying still felt dangerous.

Felt like if she slowed down, everything she'd hoped for from last night would crumble completely.