Gavon saw her before she spoke.
He was coming back from the supermarket, two grocery bags hanging from his hands and Effie’s new treats tucked under his arm, when he heard laughter from the building entrance. He stepped inside and saw Bruno standing by the mailboxes, talking to a young woman. Brunette. Sharp eyes. Confident posture.
She turned just as Gavon approached, catching his gaze with no hesitation.
“Hi,” she said simply.
Bruno looked up and smiled. “Oh hey, Gavon. This is my sister—Izzy.”
His sister.
Something in Gavon relaxed before he even realized it had been tense. So this wasn’t the girlfriend he assumed he’d seen before. No subtle flirtation. No awkward dynamic. Just… siblings.
Izzy stuck out her hand. “Nice to meet you. Bruno told me you’re the guy with the cool cat.”
Gavon chuckled. “I guess that’s me. Effie would probably agree.”
They chatted briefly—Izzy was visiting for the weekend, helping her brother sort out some legal stuff with the building. She was bright, funny, with that kind of magnetic energy that made you want to stay near her.
At some point, Effie herself came strolling into the hallway from the apartment like she owned the whole damn building. Izzy knelt to greet her. “She’s a diva,” Gavon warned.
“She’s gorgeous,” Izzy replied, petting the cat’s head gently. “She looks like she knows exactly what she wants.”
Gavon smiled. “That’s very accurate.”
Later that evening, Bruno texted him: “Hey, my sister and I are ordering food. You hungry?”
And just like that, Gavon found himself on their couch, a plate of sushi in hand, listening to Izzy roast Bruno about his terrible taste in movies.
It felt… easy. Familiar. Safe.
But when Bruno reached across to hand Gavon a napkin and their fingers touched again, something electric surged under his skin.
Not the same current as with the bearded stranger… but something.
Different.
And just as confusing.
He was coming back from the supermarket, two grocery bags hanging from his hands and Effie’s new treats tucked under his arm, when he heard laughter from the building entrance. He stepped inside and saw Bruno standing by the mailboxes, talking to a young woman. Brunette. Sharp eyes. Confident posture.
She turned just as Gavon approached, catching his gaze with no hesitation.
“Hi,” she said simply.
Bruno looked up and smiled. “Oh hey, Gavon. This is my sister—Izzy.”
His sister.
Something in Gavon relaxed before he even realized it had been tense. So this wasn’t the girlfriend he assumed he’d seen before. No subtle flirtation. No awkward dynamic. Just… siblings.
Izzy stuck out her hand. “Nice to meet you. Bruno told me you’re the guy with the cool cat.”
Gavon chuckled. “I guess that’s me. Effie would probably agree.”
They chatted briefly—Izzy was visiting for the weekend, helping her brother sort out some legal stuff with the building. She was bright, funny, with that kind of magnetic energy that made you want to stay near her.
At some point, Effie herself came strolling into the hallway from the apartment like she owned the whole damn building. Izzy knelt to greet her. “She’s a diva,” Gavon warned.
“She’s gorgeous,” Izzy replied, petting the cat’s head gently. “She looks like she knows exactly what she wants.”
Gavon smiled. “That’s very accurate.”
Later that evening, Bruno texted him: “Hey, my sister and I are ordering food. You hungry?”
And just like that, Gavon found himself on their couch, a plate of sushi in hand, listening to Izzy roast Bruno about his terrible taste in movies.
It felt… easy. Familiar. Safe.
But when Bruno reached across to hand Gavon a napkin and their fingers touched again, something electric surged under his skin.
Not the same current as with the bearded stranger… but something.
Different.
And just as confusing.
