“I just wanted the sidewalk to stay ours, okay? It was the only thing that—” He sinks into silence on a muttered curse. I soften my hold on him. “Go on. It was the only thing that what?” He pulls away enough to turn in my arms. I relax a little, letting my hand drift down to grip his forearm. He’s still in my hold, but we both know it’s a choice now. He could easily escape. Instead, he dares to hold my gaze. “Sometimes it feels like our moment on the sidewalk is the only thing between us that’s real.” I search his face. “What do you mean?”
