Cara’s lips quirked slightly at his first remark, a quiet acknowledgment of the truth in it. “I guess some things don’t change,” she mused, letting her gaze drift over the bookshelves before settling back on him.
But then he said it—I was just starting to feel like it was getting lonely here. And for a moment, she didn’t know what to say. The words hung between them, unspoken yet understood, and something in her softened.
Her fingers traced absent patterns against the book’s worn cover. “I’m glad they’re okay,” she said first, because she knew that mattered. And you? She studied him, taking in the weight behind his words. “And you’ll be better,” she added, quieter but certain. A beat passed, and then—because she never was one to let the air grow too heavy—she let out a breath of something between a sigh and a small laugh. “Maybe we both just have impeccable timing.” She hesitated, then with a small, knowing smile, added, “Or maybe Fate knew something we simply didn’t—or couldn’t admit.”
Her fingers finally released the book as she shifted slightly toward him. “Join me for a cup of tea? We can talk about books, or—” her lips twitched, playful now, “anything but fate, if you’d rather.”