Chapter 3 - Underneath the surface

The next few days passed in a blur of quiet conversations, small-town gossip, and the soft hum of everyday life. But even in the mundane, there was something stirring beneath the surface. June found herself thinking about Ezra more than she cared to admit. Every time they spoke, it was like something clicked, like the spaces between them that had once seemed vast were starting to narrow. She couldn't figure out if it was the nostalgia of their shared past or the unspoken chemistry that was pulling her toward him.

In the town of Valleybrook, nothing happened without everyone knowing within minutes. So when June saw Ezra more often—casually at the café, or by the old corner shop—she couldn't help but wonder if everyone else was noticing it, too. Was it that obvious? The way their eyes lingered a little too long, the way their conversations sometimes drifted into comfortable silences that felt more like shared secrets than moments of quiet?

But there was no time to overthink it. Ezra was here to stay for a while, helping with his father’s illness, and June was only in town for a few more weeks before she left for her new life. The clock was ticking, and the space between them was limited. There was no reason to complicate things with feelings, right?

The town park, with its faded benches and playground that had long seen better days, was the one place June always returned to when she needed a moment to herself. The scent of pine mixed with the crisp air of early fall, and the low hum of distant conversations from the other side of town was a comfort. She sat on the swings, her feet lightly brushing the ground as she let herself sink into thought.

There was something about this place—something that made her feel like she could finally breathe. Back when she was a kid, this park had been the center of all their adventures. The swings had been launchpads for their wild imaginations. And now, even though so much had changed, sitting there made her feel like she was right back in those simpler times. When everything had seemed a little less complicated.

It wasn’t until she’d lost herself in a memory of better days that she noticed Ezra walking toward her, his hands shoved deep in his jacket pockets.

“Mind if I join you?” His voice was casual, but there was a hint of that playful edge that always made her smile.

“Not at all.” She grinned, tilting her head to look at him. “Just be warned, I’m in the middle of some very profound thinking. You might disrupt my genius.”

He raised an eyebrow, settling onto the bench beside her. “Genius, huh? I’m sure that’s true. So what’s got the genius so distracted?”

June pushed herself off the ground with a soft kick, starting to swing back and forth lazily. “Just... thinking,” she said, offering him the barest of answers.

Ezra leaned back, eyes narrowing playfully. “Thinking, huh? That’s dangerous territory for you. You tend to overthink everything.”

She scoffed, swinging higher. “Not everything, just the important stuff.”

“Ah, the important stuff.” He leaned forward, studying her with exaggerated interest. “What’s the ‘important stuff,’ then?”

June paused for a beat. Her mind briefly wandered to the bigger questions of her life—the choices ahead, her fears about leaving Valleybrook. But she quickly pushed the thoughts away. No reason to get too deep. Not yet, at least.

“Stuff you wouldn’t understand,” she said, her voice light and teasing.

Ezra let out a soft laugh, the sound echoing against the quiet park. “Don’t tell me you’re going to be all mysterious on me now.”

“Maybe,” she replied with a grin. “Sometimes it’s better that way.”

For a moment, they shared an easy silence. The kind of silence that was comfortable, where words didn’t feel necessary. But Ezra, ever the unpredictable one, broke it first.

“You know,” he said, his tone shifting slightly, “I used to hate this place. It always felt... small.”

June blinked, surprised by the admission. She stopped swinging, planting her feet in the dirt. “Really? You? Mr. Adventure?”

He shrugged, his eyes not meeting hers for a second as he looked out across the park. “Yeah. I thought I’d always find something bigger out there. Something worth chasing.”

Her mind flashed to the Ezra she remembered: the one who would disappear for weeks, only to return with wild stories and an even wilder grin. But now... now there was a quietness about him. A depth she hadn’t expected.

“Well,” she said thoughtfully, resuming her gentle swinging, “maybe you were chasing the wrong things.”

His eyes followed her, and for a moment, his gaze softened. “Maybe.”

There was a quiet pause as June swung higher, her feet brushing the air with each push. The breeze was colder now, and the world around them seemed to slow down as she tried to make sense of the words between them.

“What about you?” Ezra asked, his voice softer now, laced with curiosity. “What are you chasing, June?”

The question felt loaded. She could sense the weight in his tone, the way it seemed to cut deeper than just idle conversation. June slowed her swing, her feet scraping the gravel as she thought about her answer. For a moment, she wasn’t sure how to respond.

“I’m not chasing anything,” she said after a long pause. “I’m just... trying to figure things out.”

Ezra studied her, his expression unreadable. “Figure things out. That’s a nice way of saying you’re stuck.”

June stopped swinging altogether, her feet grounding in the dirt as she faced him. She could feel the tension in the air between them, but there was something different now. Something unspoken.

“I’m not stuck,” she shot back, her voice steady, though a tinge of defensiveness crept in.

“Really?” Ezra raised an eyebrow. “Then why do you sound like you’re stuck in a place you don’t want to be?”

June’s chest tightened. She swallowed, shifting uncomfortably as she fumbled for words. “Maybe I’m not stuck. Maybe I’m just... waiting for something.”

The words were out before she could stop them, and they hung in the air like a confession she hadn’t intended to make. Ezra didn’t respond immediately. He just stared at her, his eyes searching, as if trying to read between the lines.

“Waiting for what?” he asked quietly, his voice gentle but persistent.

June looked down at the ground, feeling exposed. She had never been good at showing vulnerability, at admitting what she really wanted or needed. But here, with him, something about the question made her want to answer honestly.

“I don’t know,” she said quietly. “Maybe I’m waiting for something to change. Or maybe... maybe I’m waiting for the courage to change things myself.”

The admission hung in the air between them, raw and unguarded. Ezra’s gaze softened, and he exhaled slowly.

“You know,” he said, his voice almost wistful, “you don’t have to wait for things to change. Sometimes, you just have to decide to make the change yourself.”

June’s heart skipped a beat. The simplicity of his words made her feel like something had shifted. Like, for the first time in a long time, she was finally ready to stop waiting.

She met his gaze, her voice steady. “Yeah. Maybe you’re right.”

They sat in silence for a few moments, the weight of the conversation lingering in the air. The park around them seemed to fade into the background, as if everything had paused just for them. June wasn’t sure what would happen next, but she knew one thing for certain—this was only the beginning.

Ezra stood first, brushing the dirt off his jeans. “Well, I’m out of deep wisdom for today. Guess I’ll have to work on being the fun guy again.”

June chuckled, standing up from the swing as well. “You’re a hard man to keep up with.”

“Tell me about it,” Ezra smirked. “But I’m willing to let you try.”

With one last playful look, they turned to walk out of the park together, and though neither of them said it, they both knew that the next 30 days were going to be a lot more complicated than either had anticipated.

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