Chapter 4: The Walk After

As we said goodbye to my coworkers before leaving the restaurant, I couldn’t shake one thought.

Why was Bigfoot even here?
Is he becoming my stalker?

Before we left, my boss turned to Kent, smiling like he’d just witnessed a miracle. He went on about how much he enjoyed his presence and how relieved he was to see that I was “in good hands.”

Right. Because clearly I can’t take care of myself.

Has he never heard of independent women?

I mean—I do.

I have a job.
I pay bills.
I kept Iris’s entire wedding from turning into a full-blown disaster.

And yet—here I am. Apparently one minor inconvenience away from collapse unless a tall man with golden eyes supervises me.

Bigfoot.
—or, as the general public knows him, Kent.

Cool. Great. Love that for me.

As we walked out behind the group, I glanced at Kent and, before I could overthink it, reached out and grabbed the back of his jacket—subtly insisting he walk me to my sister’s place.

My coworkers filtered out of the restaurant ahead of us, their voices fading into the night.

Kent looked down at me.

“Sure.”

Of course he agreed. Like he already knew exactly why I stopped him in the first place.

Before we even took a step, I held my hand out in front of him, stopping him again.

“Are you my new stalker?”

His expression didn’t change—calm, unbothered, annoyingly composed.

“No,” he said evenly. “Actually, your sister sent me out to grab dinner. I was already hanging out with Noah.”

“Oh—right. You were already with my brother-in-law… wait…”

My thoughts immediately scrambled, tripping over each other as realization started creeping in.

Iris.

There was no way this was a coincidence.

Did she plan this?
She planned this.
Oh my God—she absolutely planned this.

My eyes narrowed slightly as I stared ahead, piecing it together like some kind of detective in a very unnecessary investigation.

This wasn’t a random run-in.

This was a setup.

And knowing my sister…

This was only the beginning.

My expression tightened, my annoyance becoming a little more obvious.

“Well,” I said flatly, “I guess we should get going.”

Kent adjusted the bag of food in his hand—now definitely cold—and fell into step beside me.

We started walking back to my sister’s place in silence.

Geez.

I knew he was tall, but I didn’t realize he was this tall.

Was he a giant?

At this point, “Bigfoot” might actually be an understatement.

He might be bigger than the actual Bigfoot.

Kent glanced down at me, his brows slightly furrowed.

“Why does your face look like that?”

I blinked, snapping out of my thoughts.

“Oh—uh…” I cleared my throat. “I was just thinking that you’re pretty tall. I don’t meet a lot of tall people.”

Kent let out a small laugh, bringing his hand up to cover his mouth.

“Oh, that’s what you were thinking?” he said, clearly amused. “You looked so serious—I thought it was something way more intense.”

“WHAT?!” I blurted, instantly embarrassed—only now realizing I had actually said that out loud.

I quickly cleared my throat. “Sorry—that was kind of rude.”

Kent let out a quiet laugh, clearly entertained.

“Not at all,” he said. “I was actually thinking you remind me of a little dwarf… or maybe a mouse.”

“Who even are you?” I shot back. “And for the record—I can at least be a cute mouse. Unlike you.”

Kent raised a brow, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.

“Unlike me?” he repeated. “So now we’re calling ourselves cute?”

He glanced down at me, his eyes glinting with quiet amusement.

“That’s pretty bold of you,” he added. “You’re awfully confident for someone who barely reaches my shoulder.”

I scoffed, crossing my arms.

Kent stopped walking.

Before I could react, he stepped in front of me, turning to face me fully. Then—slowly—he bent his knees, lowering himself to my level.

My breath caught.

Oh no.

What is he doing?
Why is he this close?

He leaned in slightly, his face suddenly way too close to mine.

Why is he this close to my face?!

My brain short-circuited.

Abort. Abort. Abort.

Stay calm.
Don’t let him see you crack.

Kent smiled, clearly enjoying this way too much.

“You’re a flustered little cute mouse now, aren’t you?”

My face instantly burned, heat rushing up to my cheeks.

Oh my God.

I could feel it.

I was turning red.

Like—actually red.

Like a tomato.

This is so embarrassing.

Did he just call me cute?
He agreed?

No.
I am not losing this.

I lifted my chin slightly, forcing my expression into something that resembled confidence.

“Of course not,” I said. “My face is red because I’m just… cold.”

Kent’s smile didn’t fade. Calm as ever, he straightened up and slipped off his jacket.

Before I could react, he draped it over my shoulders.

“There,” he said softly. “That should help.”

…

Oh no.

No, no, no.

This was worse.

So much worse.

The warmth of the jacket hit instantly—along with the faint scent of his cologne—and my brain completely betrayed me.

It smelled like cinnamon and nutmeg… with a hint of something sweet.

Great.

Not only is he tall and handsome—he smells good too.

“Thanks,” I muttered, adjusting the jacket like I wasn’t internally spiraling.

We continued walking toward my sister’s place.

Just a little longer, I told myself.
Just a little longer and I can escape this entire situation.

And then—

Oh my God.

My brain decided to replay dinner.

You told your coworkers he was your boyfriend.

I froze.

I said that out loud.
Out loud.
In public.

And he went along with it.

…

Is Bigfoot a little crazy?
Or is he just… playing along?

I slowly glanced at him from the corner of my eye.

Should I trust him?
Why does he seem so calm about all of this?

This man was either completely unbothered…

—or dangerously unpredictable.

…Great.

Before I could spiral any further, my sister came running out.

Of course she did.

She rushed straight toward Kent, eyes lighting up—then suddenly widened them in fake surprise the second she noticed me.

“Kent! The food is probably cold by now—what took you so lo—Annie?”

She gasped dramatically.

“Oh my! Did you run into Kent?”

She covered her mouth with both hands, attempting—very poorly—to hide her expression.

Oh, I know that face.

That was her I planned this and I’m pretending I didn’t know anything.

And unfortunately for her—

I could read her perfectly.

Ever since we were kids, she had always been easy to figure out.

I guess that’s a hidden skill of being the firstborn.

“Oh—assault now?” Iris called over her shoulder, laughing as she pulled Kent inside.

“Keep running,” I muttered, following them in.

The warmth of the house hit me instantly, but somehow, I was still aware of the jacket resting on my shoulders.

Why am I still wearing this?

I slipped it off slowly, hesitating for a second before handing it back to Kent.

“Thanks,” I said, a little quieter this time.

Our eyes met—just for a moment.

And for some reason…

Everything felt still again.

“Dinner’s ready!” Iris sang from the kitchen, breaking whatever that was supposed to be.

I cleared my throat and looked away.

Get it together.

This was just one night.

Just one walk.

Just one very confusing, very frustrating interaction with a man who made absolutely no sense.

…Right?

As I stepped further into the house, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t the end of anything.

Why do I even care?

…

Why do I feel like I already know the answer?

I stole one last glance at him.

Kent stood just a few steps behind me, calm as ever, like none of this had phased him in the slightest.

Like he hadn’t just completely disrupted my night.

My thoughts.

My entire sense of control.

And yet—

He was still here.

Still following.

Still… involved.

I turned away quickly, stepping further into the house.

No.

This didn’t mean anything.

This was just a coincidence.

Just one night.

Just one very inconvenient, very confusing interaction.

…

Right?

I exhaled softly, trying to shake the feeling lingering in my chest.

But deep down—

I already knew...