Continued!

The door swung open before he could muster a knock, and there she was—Lila, in a cropped sweater that hugged her curves and leggings that made her legs look like they went on forever. Her smile hit him like a spotlight, bright and effortless. “Pizza’s here!” she called over her shoulder, then turned to him, her hazel eyes catching the porch light. “Hey, thanks—what do I owe you?”

“Uh, twelve fifty,” Danny stammered, fumbling the receipt from his pocket. His fingers brushed hers as she handed him a crumpled twenty, and he nearly dropped the change, coins clinking in his shaky grip.

“Keep it,” she said, winking like it was nothing. “You’re a lifesaver, pizza guy.”

The door shut with a soft thud, leaving him alone on the porch, her voice ringing in his ears. Lifesaver He’d have framed the moment if he could, pinned it to the wall of his shitty apartment like a trophy.

Instead, he stood there, frozen, the scent of her vanilla perfume lingering in the air.

He didn’t mean to eavesdrop—it was an accident, really. The bike rack sat under an open window, and as he wrestled the chain around the post, their voices drifted out like smoke.

Lila’s squad was in full plotting mode, sprawled across what he imagined was a plush living room littered with throw pillows and empty cans.