Chapter 3; The hug that lingered.

BELLA

The barbecue was in full swing now. 

Smoke curled up from the grill in lazy spirals, kids shrieked as they ran through the sprinkler, and someone had cranked the music just loud enough that conversations had to lean in close. 

I’d already eaten half a burger and two helpings of Mom’s potato salad, but my appetite had vanished the second Alex walked away earlier.

I was helping Aunt Lisa stack empty plates when I felt it someone watching me.

I turned.

Alex was standing by the cooler, pulling out a beer. Our eyes met again, same as before. This time he didn’t smile right away. He just looked. Steady. Like he was trying to figure something out.

My stomach flipped.

He twisted the cap off the bottle, took a slow sip, then started walking toward me. Casual steps. Nothing rushed. But every one made my pulse jump higher.

I busied myself with the plates, suddenly very interested in stacking them neatly.

“Hey,” he said when he reached the table.

“Hey.” I glanced up, forced a small smile. “You surviving the chaos?”

“Barely.” He nodded toward the sprinkler. “Emily’s about to drown half the yard.”

I followed his gaze. Emily was in a bright pink swimsuit, hair plastered to her face, laughing as she chased a boy twice her size with the hose. She looked happy. Carefree. Exactly how I remembered feeling at that age.

“She’s gotten so big,” I said softly.

“Yeah.” Alex’s voice warmed. “Ten going on twenty-five some days.”

I laughed. “Sounds familiar.”

He set his beer on the table, leaned one hip against the edge. Close enough that I could see the faint lines at the corners of his eyes when he smiled. Close enough that I had to remind myself to breathe normally.

“You okay?” he asked. “You seem… quiet.”

I shrugged one shoulder. “Just taking it all in. Been away a while.”

He nodded like he understood more than I’d said. “It’s different coming back. Everything looks the same, but you’re not.”

My throat tightened. “Yeah. That.”

Silence settled between us again. Not uncomfortable, Just… heavy.

Then Mom appeared out of nowhere, carrying a fresh tray of corn.

“Alex! Bella! Come help me with these before they get cold.”

She thrust the tray at us like we were kids. Alex took it without hesitation, balancing it easily in one hand.

“Lead the way,” he told her.

Mom beamed and headed toward the main table. Alex glanced at me.

“After you.”

I walked ahead, very aware of him right behind me. I could feel the heat of him, even though we weren’t touching. My skin prickled like it remembered the dream from this morning.

We reached the table. Mom started passing out corn. People crowded in, chatting, laughing. I handed out a few ears, smiling at faces I half-knew.

Then it happened.

Someone bumped me from behind Ethan, probably, running past with a plate of ribs. I stumbled forward, right into Alex.

His free arm came around my waist instantly. Steady. Strong. Catching me before I could fall.

For one heartbeat, everything stopped.

My back pressed against his chest. His hand splayed across my stomach, warm through the thin fabric of my dress. His other arm still held the tray steady somehow. His breath brushed my ear.

“Easy,” he murmured. So low only I could hear.

I froze.

His grip wasn’t tight. Just enough to hold me upright. But it felt like fire. My whole body lit up heart slamming, skin tingling where his palm rested. I could smell his cologne again, mixed with the faint smoke from the grill.

I should have stepped away.

I didn’t.

For three full seconds I stayed there, back against him, feeling the solid wall of his body, the steady rise and fall of his chest.

Then I moved.

I straightened, cleared my throat. “Sorry. Clumsy.”

He let go slowly. His hand slid away from my waist like he didn’t want to. Fingers brushed my hip for the barest second before disappearing.

“No problem,” he said. Voice rougher than before.

I turned to face him. Our eyes locked again.

His were darker now. Pupils blown wide. Jaw tight.

He swallowed once. Hard.

“You good?” he asked.

“Yeah.” My voice came out breathy. “Fine.”

Mom was still handing out corn, oblivious. “Bella, honey, take one. Alex, you too.”

We both reached for the same corn at the same time. Our fingers brushed.

Electricity shot up my arm.

I jerked back like I’d been burned.

He did the same.

We both laughed short, awkward laughs that didn’t fool anyone who might have been watching.

“Here,” he said, handing me the corn first. 

“Ladies first.”

“Thanks.”

I took it, careful not to touch him again. My fingers were trembling just enough that I had to grip the plate harder.

Alex stepped back, gave me space. But his eyes stayed on me.

“I should check on Emily,” he said. “Make sure she hasn’t started a full water war.”

“Good idea.”

He hesitated. Like he wanted to say something else.

Then he just nodded. “See you around, Bella.”

“Yeah. See you.”

He walked away. I watched him go broad shoulders, easy stride, the way he ruffled Emily’s wet hair when he reached her.

My heart wouldn’t slow down.

I turned back to the table, pretending to focus on buttering my corn. But my mind kept replaying it.

The arm around my waist.

The hand on my stomach.

The way his breath had felt against my ear.

The way he hadn’t let go right away.

I took a bite of corn. Didn’t taste it.

Across the yard, Alex glanced back at me. Just once. Quick.

Our eyes met again.

And this time, neither of us looked away for a long moment.

My cheeks burned.

I broke first. Looked down at my plate.

But the heat in my body didn’t fade.

It spread.

Lower.

Deeper.

I pressed my thighs together under the table.

Tomorrow was Monday.

The office.

Desks near each other.

Late nights.

Projects.

Him.

And after tonight after that hug that lasted too long I  wasn’t sure how I was going to pretend this was nothing.

Because it wasn’t.

Not anymore.

And from the look in his eyes when he walked away, I wasn’t the only one who knew it.