The moment was charged, the air around us seeming to buzz with something new. I followed him through the store, and while I knew it hadn't always been his, I couldn't help but see him in every corner of it. Our first encounter in Darrow, after so many months of my own self-inflicted exile, happened right here.

On the stairs, he turned to look at me, his eyes soft, and I crowded in close, my arm slipping around his waist.

"Do you think anyone will blame you if you keep the shop closed tomorrow?"