Chapter 2 - Between almost and always

The next few days felt like a dance—one where neither June nor Ezra quite knew the steps but somehow kept moving in sync. She hadn’t expected things to feel so easy between them again, especially after all these years. There were times when June would catch herself laughing at a joke he made, only to pause and wonder why she had ever stopped being in this space with him. But maybe it wasn’t that she’d stopped—it was just that life had gotten in the way. And for the first time in a long while, it didn’t feel so complicated.

They spent the next few days together in bits and pieces, running into each other around town, each encounter carrying a strange sense of familiarity. Ezra hadn’t been back in Valleybrook long, but somehow, he slipped into the rhythm of the place like a missing puzzle piece. It was like he had never left.

The evening after their first meeting at the diner, June found herself sitting on the porch of her small apartment, the warm evening air surrounding her. She was supposed to be reading, but her mind kept wandering back to Ezra. She couldn’t help it. There was something about him that made it hard to focus on anything else, even after all this time.

“Hey, Rivas, you planning on talking to me at some point, or are you just going to keep staring off into space?”

June snapped out of her thoughts to find Ezra leaning against the railing of her porch. He looked relaxed, but the glint of mischief in his eyes hadn’t changed since their childhood.

“I wasn’t staring,” she replied, her voice playful. “Just thinking.”

Ezra raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. Thinking about what?”

“About how annoying you are,” she said with a smirk. “I mean, honestly, I’m just trying to have a peaceful evening, and here you are showing up uninvited.”

“Uninvited?” Ezra said, placing a hand on his chest. “I’m wounded, June. You wound me.”

June laughed, rolling her eyes as she shifted in her seat to face him. “You’re impossible.”

Ezra grinned and crossed his arms. “I know. But you love it.”

She gave him a mock gasp. “Oh, so now we’re back to that?”

“I thought we’d never left that,” he said, settling down on the steps next to her. “I mean, it’s not like you could ever resist my charm.”

“Oh, don’t flatter yourself.” June shook her head, but she couldn’t hide the smile creeping up on her face.

There was a long pause, one that seemed to stretch between them, almost like a thin thread tethering them to something unspoken. Then, with a sigh, Ezra looked up at the sky. “I wasn’t planning on coming back, you know.”

June turned her head to look at him, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. “What do you mean?”

Ezra leaned forward slightly, his hands resting on his knees. “I wasn’t planning on coming back to Valleybrook. But… things change.” His gaze flickered toward the street, the evening light casting a soft glow on his face. “I figured it was time. My dad...he needs me right now.”

June nodded, her heart softening. “I get it. I really do.”

Ezra looked back at her, his expression softening too. “You don’t think it’s...strange? Me being here again after all this time?”

June paused before answering. “A little. But you’re still you, Ezra. The same as you ever were.”

Ezra smiled faintly, but there was something more to it, something deeper. “Maybe. But I’ve changed, June. In a lot of ways.”

She could feel the weight of his words, though he didn’t elaborate. There was something in the way he said it—almost like a warning or a confession—but he didn’t push her to ask. They just sat there, the soft evening sounds of the town surrounding them.

“So,” she said after a moment, deciding to break the tension. “What’s next for the great Ezra Holt? You here to save the day, or is that just a part-time gig?”

He laughed, clearly grateful for the change in topic. “Oh, definitely saving the day. It’s my specialty.”

June smiled, a playful glint in her eye. “Well, I’ll let you know if I need saving. I have a few things I’d love for you to fix around here.”

“Anything for you,” he said, leaning back, looking as though he were genuinely enjoying the moment.

There was a long stretch of silence between them, neither of them wanting to break it, but neither of them really knowing what to say next. June didn’t ask about the future, and Ezra didn’t offer up any more details about his plans. Instead, they both stayed in that space where everything felt like it was just as it should be, even though neither of them knew what would come next.

Finally, after a few moments, June spoke up. “So, what’s the deal with your dad? How’s he really doing?”

Ezra turned his head slightly to meet her gaze. “It’s hard. I don’t think he wants to admit how bad things are, but...I’m here for as long as he needs me.”

“You’re a good son,” June said quietly, her voice soft but sincere.

Ezra didn’t respond right away, but he gave her a small nod. “I’m just doing what I can.”

“You don’t have to do it alone, you know,” June said, her voice low. “I’m here if you need anything. Not that you’d ask.”

Ezra’s eyes softened slightly, but there was that same playful glint in them. “You’d probably try to fix it all for me, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course,” she said with a grin. “It’s my specialty.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “You’re impossible, Rivas.”

“And yet, you keep coming back.” She raised an eyebrow.

Ezra met her gaze for a moment, his eyes searching hers in a way that made her heart beat a little faster. “Maybe,” he said quietly. “Maybe I’m starting to realize I don’t mind it so much.”

June swallowed, her breath catching slightly. She wasn’t sure if it was the way he said it or the way it made her feel, but there was something undeniable about it. Something that didn’t feel like just another moment between them, but something deeper.

“So,” she said, clearing her throat to break the sudden tension, “What do you want to do now?”

Ezra smiled, leaning back on the steps. “Whatever’s next,” he said simply. “We’ll figure it out.”

And that was the thing about Ezra Holt—he was always the kind of person who would figure things out as they came. He never seemed to overthink it, never seemed to worry about tomorrow. And maybe, just maybe, it was that carefree nature that made June want to spend more time with him.

But the question that lingered in her mind was simple: What would happen when the 30 days were up?

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