I gesture to the black and gold ink covering his chest and arms, the script curling over his ribs, the symbols of something deeper, untamed. “You’re a super serious businessman and broody chef. But this?” I drag a finger over a design near his wrist. “This tells me you used to be a little reckless.”

He smirks, stretching his arms behind his head, leaning back like a king on his throne. “The most reckless of them all.”

My mouth falls open. “No way. You? Victor Grimes? A wild one?”

“Frat boy. Party boy. Playboy. College legend. Take your pick.”

“Say what, now? I gasp, clutching my imaginary pearls. “Well, I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. Your fuckboy ways still peak through sometimes.”

He laughs. “And you? Let me guess. You were the sweet, studious, rule-following, college girl still dating her high school sweetheart.”

I glare and groan, mortified but impressed. “Okay, yes, but to be fair. My journey is no different than most in this town. You go to school, get married young, and then have kids. It’s a peaceful life. A good one.” I pause, then snort. “But clearly not for me!”

We laugh. But then, the conversation dips into deeper waters.

Vic’s voice softens. “By the way, I heard your mom ask if I could prepare a quick meal for her Bible Study group. Consider it done. Your daily calls with her are hilarious. Reminds me of how my family used to be.” His voice shifts, something distant in his gaze. “I was always closer to my mom, and Hud was closer to our dad. But together, our family just fit.”

He pauses, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows hard. And then, so quietly, he slips.

“I miss them,” His voice trembles. “Both of them.”

I know exactly who them are. His dad. His wife.

I gently reach for his hand. “Vic, I’m here if you ever need ta—”

He cuts me off. “I don’t want to talk about it. I never will.”

The warmth between us vanishes like snapped string. I nod, pulling my hand back slowly, unsure what to do with the silence that settles between us.

Vic doesn’t look at me. His eyes stay locked on the waves in the distance, jaw tight and shoulders rigid.

I wrap my arms around myself and glance out toward the bright, shimmering water. It’s beautiful, filled with people laughing in the distance – the kind of day most people dream about. But between us, the sun might as well have gone out.

But when his eyes flicker to my arms and he notices the goosebumps on my skin, his demeanor changes.

“You’re cold,” he says. Gruff. Quiet. But not unkind.