Mira didn't expect to see Jace the next day.
She hadn't planned on it. After their conversation the night before, the weight of everything between them was heavier than she'd imagined. It felt like standing on a tightrope, and with each step, she was waiting for the inevitable fall.
But when she walked into work that morning, there was a message waiting for her. A single text.
Jace: What if we didn't overthink this for once?
She stared at the words, her thumb hovering over the screen. The question echoed in her mind, loud and insistent.
What if they didn't?
---
When their eyes met that afternoon, Mira couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed—again. Jace was leaning against the counter, arms crossed, like he'd been waiting for her. When he saw her step inside, he pushed off the counter with an easy grin.
"Hey."
"Hey," she replied, her voice betraying none of the unease she felt. "What's up?"
"I was thinking about what you said yesterday," he said, eyes studying her. "About not understanding this. Us."
Her chest tightened. "And?"
"I think I'm okay with that," he said, his voice quieter now. "I think we're both trying to figure it out, but that's part of it, right? We don't have to have all the answers."
Mira took a slow breath, her gaze dropping to the floor. She wanted to believe him. To believe that it could be that simple. But her mind, always the skeptic, refused to let go of the fear.
"You don't have to figure everything out to know that it matters," he added, his voice gentle.
Her head snapped up to meet his eyes, the intensity in his stare making her heart race. It was like he could see through her, into the parts she kept hidden.
"I'm not good at this," she confessed, her voice trembling slightly.
Jace tilted his head, the smile he gave her small but understanding. "Who is?"
She bit her lip, considering his words. Maybe he was right. Maybe it didn't matter that they didn't have the answers, that they didn't know what this thing was between them. Maybe what mattered was that it was there, and they were both willing to see it through.
She took a step forward. "I'm scared," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Scared that if I let this... whatever it is, happen, it'll fall apart."
Jace's gaze softened. "Maybe it will," he said, and his honesty hit her like a punch to the gut. "But maybe it won't. Maybe we'll figure it out as we go."
Her heart hammered in her chest. "You make it sound so easy."
"Maybe it should be," he said, stepping closer until the space between them was almost nonexistent. "Maybe we're the ones making it complicated."
Mira swallowed, her breath shallow. She was so close to him now, she could feel the heat of his body, the warmth of his skin that made her entire body hum. She couldn't remember a time when she'd felt this alive.
"I don't know what I want," she whispered, the confession slipping from her lips before she could stop it. "I don't know what you want either."
Jace's eyes darkened, his expression shifting to something raw, something she couldn't quite place. "I want you," he said, his voice steady. "But I'm not here to pressure you, Mira. I'm here because I want to see where this goes. If you do."
Her heart skipped a beat. The sincerity in his words knocked the wind from her lungs. But there was still hesitation, still fear that gripped her chest, threatening to hold her back.
But before she could speak, he added, "We don't have to rush. But I'm not going anywhere."
---
The words hung in the air between them, thick with meaning. Mira wanted to say something—anything—that would make it easier. But she couldn't. Not yet. Not when the weight of everything was so heavy.
Instead, she simply nodded, her heart pounding in her chest.
"Okay," she finally said, her voice soft but firm. "Okay."
---
Later that night, as Mira lay in bed, she found herself staring at the ceiling, the events of the day playing in her mind like a film on repeat. Her mind was still racing with what Jace had said, with the way he'd looked at her.
He wasn't asking for anything. Not yet. He was just... there. With her. And that thought was both comforting and terrifying in equal measure.
She didn't know what the future held. She didn't know where this path would take them, or if it would lead to the same place. But for the first time in a long time, she wasn't afraid to find out.