The coffee cooled quickly in their hands, though neither of them seemed in any rush to finish. Ali leaned back against the counter, her gaze fixed on the pattern of sunlight spilling through the window across the tiled floor. Every once in a while, her eyes flicked up to Ray, but whenever he caught her, she found herself looking away again, cheeks warming.
This was real. That thought struck her over and over again like waves on a shoreline. Ray was here. In her kitchen. Drinking from one of her mismatched mugs. His voice was no longer compressed into tinny audio from her headphones—it filled the air, warm and textured, each word resonating in a way that made her heart stumble.
“You’re quiet,” Ray said finally, setting his mug down. He tilted his head, studying her with that half-smile that always made it impossible for her to hide. “I didn’t come all this way for you to sit there overthinking everything.”
Ali’s lips parted, but no immediate comeback came to mind. He wasn’t wrong. She was overthinking—about the brush of his fingers when he handed her the sugar earlier, about the almost-kiss last night, about how natural he looked standing in her kitchen like he belonged there.
“I’m not overthinking,” she lied, grabbing her mug and taking a big gulp of lukewarm coffee.
Ray raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. Totally convincing.” He smirked, leaning casually against the doorway. “Don’t worry. I’ll give you plenty to think about later.”
Ali choked on her drink, coughing as heat rushed to her face. “Ray!”
He laughed, the sound deep and unrestrained, filling the room with a familiarity that loosened something tight in her chest. She wanted to scold him, to throw another pillow like she had last night, but part of her basked in the ease he carried with him.
“Relax,” he said between chuckles. “I just meant I expect the grand tour today. You’ve been talking about this town for years, and now I get to see it with my own eyes.”
Ali set her mug down a little too firmly, trying to regain her composure. “Fine. But if you start complaining after ten minutes of walking, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Complaining?” Ray grinned, brushing his messy hair back from his forehead. “Please. I flew halfway across the world for this. I think I can handle a stroll.”
Ali rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t help but smile.
---
After a quick breakfast—toast, eggs, and the last of the strawberries she had in the fridge—they got ready to head out. Ali tugged on her jacket and sneakers, nerves humming under her skin as Ray shouldered his backpack. She glanced at him, amused.
“You know you’re not trekking across a continent today, right? It’s just town.”
He shrugged easily. “Old habits. I like being prepared.”
Ali shook her head but didn’t push further. Truthfully, she found comfort in it—his readiness, his steadiness. It was so distinctly him.
The autumn air outside greeted them cool and crisp, carrying the faint scent of fallen leaves. The small town stretched out before them, familiar streets now cast in a new light simply because he was walking beside her.
Ray slowed his steps as they moved down the sidewalk, his gaze drinking in everything. The row of little shops with hand-painted signs, the bakery with its window display of fresh bread, the old bookstore that leaned slightly as though bowing under the weight of its own history. He noticed everything, his eyes alive with curiosity.
“This place feels like a postcard,” he said, his voice tinged with wonder. “You always made it sound so ordinary, but it’s… it’s got character.”
