He scratches the back of his head, cheeks flushed. “You’re making fun of me.”

“I’m panicking,” I correct, breath catching. “Big difference.”

But as I look at him, the fact that he still hasn’t stopped watching me like I’m the part of this he can’t believe I feel the spin of it slow. Just a little.

Yeah, he’s gorgeous. Yeah, my expectations are six feet under and I’ve been steamrolled by reality in the hottest way possible. It’s not about that now though, it’s about this space between us. The history of everything we’ve shared without ever standing in the same room. And now we’re here.

Now I get to find out if the tension, the comfort, the connection feels just as good in real life as it always did online.

And god, I hope it does. I take a slow breath, shift my stance, force the conversation forward.

“Come on, Carter,” I say, stepping off the porch, keeping my tone light, playful, like I didn’t just completely lose my mind for half a second. “We doing this or what?”

He blinks again, like he’s still catching up. Finally, he smiles, and instantly the tension breaks.

Carter is still looking at me, like he’s trying to process reality in real time, and I’m just about to break the silence with some dumb attempt at humor when a door swings open behind me.

“Havie, did you leave your—” Cassie’s voice cuts off mid-sentence.

I blink. Oh. Shit. I never told Carter she was coming.

Cassie is standing in the doorway, surveying the scene with way too much curiosity, her eyes bouncing between me and Carter like she’s mentally cataloging everything for later interrogation.

Carter’s brows lift slightly, and I can see the exact moment he registers what’s happening.

“You… brought backup?” he asks, voice lighter than I expected.

I shift awkwardly. “Uh. Surprise?”

His mouth quirks, the tension from before easing into something almost amused. “I mean,” he says, shoving his hands into his pockets, grinning just a little now, “I can’t even be mad. That’s honestly kinda smart.”

Cassie finally steps fully outside, giving Carter a once-over that is just nosy enough to be offensive. “You must be Carter,” she says, tilting her head.

“And you must be Cassie,” he replies easily, and just charming enough to make me nervous.

Cassie narrows her eyes like she’s trying to decide something. Then she nods, satisfied. “Okay, you’re cuter than I expected. I approve.”

I groan. “Cass.”

Carter laughs, clearly unbothered. “Glad I passed the test.”

Cassie waves a hand. “You’re not out of the woods yet.”