Page 26 of Sawyer

I looked up, and there was Sawyer, standing in the doorway of an office toward the back. His expression flickered with surprise, and for a moment, neither of us said anything.

The conversation at the counter abruptly stopped, and both Noah and Miles turned toward me, their faces going pale as they realized who I was.

"I didn’t expect to see you here," Sawyer said as he walked closer.

"Yeah, thought I’d grab a coffee." I offered a small smile, feeling the awkwardness creep in as Noah and Miles exchanged nervous glances.

"Oh, uh—Casey, this is my brother, Miles," Sawyer said, gesturing to the man with glasses. "And this is Noah."

"Nice to meet you," I said, giving them a polite nod.

Miles rubbed the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed. "Hey, sorry about… uh..." He let out a nervous laugh. “Anyway, listen, next time we should all hang out. Maybe grab a drink or something?"

“Sure, sounds good,” I replied, offering a small smile to smooth over any lingering awkwardness.

As the tension started to ease, Miles grinned, flicking his eyes between Sawyer and me.

“Oh, and by the way, I wanted to thank you.” Miles paused dramatically, shooting Sawyer a mock glare. “Ever since you came along, he’s finally started caring about the way he looks. You should see him—checking the mirror, making sure everything matches. It’s exhausting.”

Noah chuckled, shaking his head. “Yeah, he used to just throw on whatever was clean. Now it’s all about ‘color-coordinating’.”

Sawyer groaned, covering his face. “You guys are the worst.”

I laughed softly, feeling the last bit of tension from earlier dissolve.

Sawyer rolled his eyes, then turned back to me. “C’mon, let’s get out of here and grab a coffee.”

I raised an eyebrow, holding up the cup in my hand. “There’s coffee right here.”

“Yeah, but I meant somewhere... quieter.” He gave me a quick look, his hand brushing against my arm as he passed by. It was brief, but the warmth of his touch lingered, a soft hum beneath my skin.

I followed him out of the bookstore, my heart racing a little from the unexpected contact.

As we walked down the street, I couldn’t resist teasing him. “So... how much time do you actually spend picking out your clothes now?”

Sawyer shot me a playful side-eye. “Not as much as Miles makes it seem. He’s just trying to mess with me.”

“Oh, sure. I bet you’ve got a secret wardrobe hidden in the back just for emergencies,” I joked.

“Maybe,” Sawyer said, laughing.

As we reached the coffee shop, Sawyer ordered without missing a beat. “Caramel latte, right?”

I blinked, surprised that he remembered. “Yeah,” I replied, a little late. It was the same drink I’d ordered on our last outing.

As we sat down with our drinks, I realized just how at ease I felt. It had been a long time since I’d been this comfortable with anyone—let alone a shifter.

Meeting Miles and Noah didn’t bother me, and neither did being here with Sawyer. Maybe I was finally moving past it, past the fear that had kept me so closed off.

But still... I couldn’t let myself get carried away. Not now, when I was finally finding my footing again.

Sawyer and I were just friends. Friends who had crossed a few lines, sure, but that didn’t change anything. I couldn’t afford to let it.

Chapter 7

Sawyer

“If anything important comes up, call me on my cell,” Cooper said.