Whispers of Maplebrook

pulled her closer, and Amelia rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. For the first time in so

d with books. The bookstore felt alive in a way Amelia hadn't noticed before, as if it was more than ju

ook like now that she had decided to stay. There were so many unknowns, so many questions about the future. But for the first time in a long time, she wasn't a

cond and an eternity, Ethan pulled back

this is all new, and I don't want you to feel like you have to make

stly, I've spent so much of my life running. Running toward goals, running away from things that scared

He cupped her cheek gently, his thumb brushing her skin as if

he whispered, and the sincerity in

yo

bookstore forgotten. It wasn't until the fire started to die down, casting so

, glancing out the window where the sky had turned dark, with onl

hesitation in his eyes. "I'll walk you,

have to do that. It's just a short walk

was, she didn't want to be alone just yet. The thought of walking back to

k. The town was quiet now, with most of the shops closed and only a few lights glowing in the windows of nearby houses. It was peaceful

they navigated the narrow streets. The sky above was clear, the stars twinkling bright

eatures-the strong line of his jaw, the way his hair fell slightly into his eyes. There was something grounding about

ed suddenly, breaking the s

s the energy, the constant movement, the feeling that there's always something happening. But... being here, in M

for a while after college, but after I inherited the bookstore, coming back here felt like the

ng the truth in them. "That's exa

they approached her cottage, Amelia felt a twinge of reluctance. She didn't want the

to face Ethan, her heart fluttering in a wa

the distance, to reach out and draw him into another kiss, but something in the way he looked at her made her pause. It wa