Page 110 of No Need to Run

---

He glances at me.

The corner of his mouth lifts. “You’d go into the basement, wouldn’t you?”

I smile. “I’d already know what was in it.”

His expression shifts, amusement flickering with curiosity. “Why does that sound more ominous than comforting?”

“Because you’re very perceptive.”

He studies me for a second too long.

He studies me a beat too long.

Heat crawls up my neck. I reach for my spoon and take another bite of ice cream.

Drew watches me now instead of the movie.

“What?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “Nothing.”

“Tell me.”

“Maybe I’m mysterious.”

“You’re not.”

His brows rise. “I’m not?”

“No.” I lean back against the couch, studying him. “You’re careful. There’s a difference.”

The words land softly and precisely between us.

His face changes again, and I know I’ve touched a nerve.

I want to slide my fingers under every guarded part of him and pry gently until he opens for me.

But tonight isn’t for taking.

Tonight is for proving I can wait.

That I can let him come closer on his own.

Drew exhales, leaning back against the cushions. “Yeah,” he says after a moment. “Maybe.”

I soften my voice. “It’s not a bad thing.”

“It feels like one sometimes.”

My chest tightens.

There’s a crack. Small, but real.

I turn toward him fully. “Why?”

His throat works as he swallows.

For a second, I think he’s going to answer. To let me see past another locked door.

---