Page 95 of No Need to Run

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The paperwork doesn’t take long.It’s a standard leasing agreement.

Even so, I take my time reading it before signing the one-year lease.

Then I give him a check for the deposit and the first month’s rent.

“Here are the keys,” Jared says, setting them in my palm. “You can move in anytime next week.”

I nod, still slightly stunned by what I’ve just done.

He flashes me a quick smile. “You’re all set.”

“Great.”

I stand there a moment longer, my eyes roaming around the place. Excitement bubbles up… immediately followed by a mental checklist of things I’ll need.

For a second, I smell the soft, familiar scent of jasmine hanging in the air.

It’s probably my subconscious, imagining Violet coming over here.

Yeah. That has to be it.

I turn and follow Jared out.

At the door, I glance inside once more.

This house feels right.

21

VIOLET

Drewand I are sitting at a small table near the window, our coffees between us, when he shifts in his seat.

“So,” he says, running a hand through his hair. “I did something… kind of impulsive.”

I already know. I watched him sign the paperwork. I saw him notice the heart I drew in the dirt on the window.

Diving behind the shrubs before he spotted me left scratches all over my arms. Thankfully, my cardigan hides them.

“Oh?” I say lightly. “What impulsive thing did you do? Wear loafers without socks?”

He chuckles and shakes his head.

“I rented a house,” he says.

I let my eyes widen slightly. Just enough to be convincing. “You did?”

He nods. “The one on Old Mill Road.” He huffs out a quiet breath. “Signed a one-year lease.” His shoulders straighten, pride shining in his eyes. “I haven’t told anyone yet. Not even my brother.”

He told me first.

My heart swells.

“That’s a big step,” I say.

“It is,” he admits. “But it feels right.”

“You seem confident.”

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