For a while, conversation stayed light.

Music.

Food.

A story Duane told about his uncle getting banned from a casino in

Vegas for accusing a slot machine of “playing favorites.”

Stacey laughed harder than she expected.

The kind of laugh that made her lean forward and shake her head.

“You lying.”

“I swear.”

“You adding extras.”

“Nah, the extras was him threatening to sue the machine.”

She laughed again.

And Duane just watched her for a second too long.

Not intentionally.

It just happened.

Stacey noticed.

Of course she did.

Her smile softened slightly.

“What?” she asked.

Duane leaned back slowly.

“Nothin’.”

But it wasn’t nothing.

And both of them knew it.

The waitress dropped off their food.

The moment shifted again.

Not awkward.

Just quieter.

Stacey picked at one of her fries before speaking.

“You seem lighter.”

Duane looked down briefly before reaching for his drink.

“I think I’m tired of fighting myself,” he admitted.

There it was again.

That honesty.

Less dramatic now.

More natural.

Like maybe the mountain cracked something open he couldn’t close

again.

Stacey studied him carefully.

“And what happens if you stop?”

Duane let out a small breath through his nose.

“Don’t know.”

A pause.

“But I think I’m starting to realize controlling everything ain’t really been

protecting me like I thought.”

That sat between them for a second.

Then his phone buzzed against the table.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Duane glanced at it.

The softness in his face disappeared almost instantly.

Not completely.

But enough.

Stacey noticed the shift immediately.

His jaw tightened slightly as he flipped the phone over face down.

“You not gon’ get that?” she asked carefully.

Duane grabbed a fry but didn’t eat it.

“Nah.”

But his energy had already changed.

Subtle.

Still controlled.

But somewhere else now.

Stacey leaned back slowly.

“What happened?”

Duane shook his head faintly.

“Nothin’.”

The lie wasn’t harsh.

It was automatic.

And that bothered her more.

Because after everything they just shared—

after all that honesty—

that one word felt louder than it should’ve.

Stacey looked at him quietly.

Duane felt it.

Of course he did.

He rubbed his hand across his beard once before finally exhaling.

“It’s my ex-wife,” he admitted.

There it was.

The table got quiet.

Not tense yet.

But close enough to touch it.

Stacey’s face didn’t change much.

But internally—

something shifted.

Not jealousy.

Not insecurity.

Just… awareness.

Duane picked his phone up again, staring at the screen without

unlocking it.

“She usually only calls this much when something wrong.”

Stacey nodded slowly.

“You should probably answer her then.”

Duane looked at her.

Trying to read her.

But Stacey’s face stayed calm.

Too calm.

“You sure?”

That question told her everything.

Because he wasn’t asking permission.

He was asking what it would cost him.

Stacey held his gaze for a second.

Then reached for her drink.

“If somebody need you, answer the phone.”

Simple.

Mature.

But something about it made Duane’s chest tighten anyway.

He stood slowly from the booth.

“I’ll be right back.”

Stacey nodded once.

Then watched him walk outside.

The second the restaurant door closed behind him—

her expression changed.

Not dramatically.

Just enough.

Enough for the truth to finally reach her quietly.

The mountain had brought them closer.

But real life?

Real life was waiting right here.

And as Stacey stared out the window watching Duane stand outside

with his phone pressed against his ear, face tense, body stiff—

she realized something she hadn’t let herself fully think about before.

Loving a man who was still untangling himself from his past…

was going to require more from her than she might be ready to give.

And outside—

Duane lowered his head during the call, eyes shutting briefly like

whatever he was hearing…had just followed them home