Chapter 12 : Unraveling the Night

The bar had started to thin out by the time Josie's shift was over. The loud laughter and clinking of glasses had dulled to a quiet murmur, the air thick with the scent of spilled beer and stale smoke. Marty stretched and yawned, clearly proud of himself for getting Dev to stay.

"Alright, man, I'll leave you to it," he said, slapping Dev's shoulder before turning to Josie. "Take it easy on my guy here. He's fragile."

Josie smirked. "I'll be gentle."

Marty winked and walked out, leaving Dev and Josie standing near the bar. She untied the apron from around her waist, tossing it onto the counter before running a hand through her hair.

"Want to take a walk?" she asked, grabbing her leather jacket from the coat rack.

Dev hesitated. It had been a long time since someone had just… asked to spend time with him. But he nodded.

"Yeah, sure."

Outside, the city streets were quieter than before. The neon lights from the bar cast a soft glow onto the pavement as they walked side by side. The cool night air was a sharp contrast to the stuffy warmth of the bar.

"So," Josie said after a moment, glancing at him. "You don't talk much, do you?"

Dev shrugged. "Not a lot to say."

She chuckled. "That's usually what people with the most to say claim."

He smirked a little. "Maybe."

They walked for a few more minutes in silence before she spoke again.

"So, tell me something about yourself, Devan. Anything."

He exhaled slowly. "I just got out of prison."

Josie blinked, caught off guard. "Wow. Umm, Okay. That's… honest."

Dev looked at her, expecting the usual reaction, fear, judgment, avoidance. But she didn't step away or change the way she looked at him.

Instead, she asked, "What for?"

He hesitated. "Something I didn't do."

Josie studied him for a moment. "And you were in for how long?"

"Twenty years," Dev answered.

She let out a low whistle. "Damn. That's a lifetime."

"Yeah."

They kept walking, the city buzzing softly around them.

"Do you ever think about what you lost?" she asked.

"Every second," Dev admitted.

Josie nodded as if she understood, but Dev doubted she really could.

"You trying to start over?" she asked.

He thought about that. "I don't know. Not sure if I can."

"You can," Josie said simply.

Dev glanced at her. "How are you so sure?"

She smiled faintly. "I don't know, you stick around with Marty. You could've given up, but you didn't."

Dev looked ahead, the weight of her words settling deep in his chest.

Maybe she was right. Maybe he hadn't given up completely.

But what if he should have?

The night air was crisp as Josie and Dev walked side by side through the quiet streets. The glow of the streetlights cast elongated shadows, stretching before them as if reflecting the uncertain paths they were walking in life. Josie, ever the talker, filled the silence with stories, about the people at the bar, her chaotic shifts, and her dreams of passing her medical exam and getting into medical school.

And Dev, he just listened and continued admiring her.

"I've always wanted to be a doctor," she said, kicking a stray pebble along the sidewalk. "I like the idea of helping people… making a difference? But getting there? That's the hard part."

Dev glanced at her, taking in the way her dark curls framed her face under the streetlights. There was something so easy about being around her. Unlike most people, she didn't look at him with judgment or pity.

"You'll get there," he said, his voice steady. "You seem… determined."

Josie smirked, looking up at him. "Is that your way of calling me stubborn?"

Dev let out a small chuckle, the sound surprising even himself. "Maybe."

Josie playfully nudged him. "Well, I'll take it as a compliment."

 She took a step back, letting her eyes run over him in the dim light. "You know, for a guy who doesn't talk much, you've got that whole brooding, mysterious thing going for you."

Dev raised a brow. "That so?"

She nodded. "Tall, rugged, a little rough around the edges. You should be in some action movie, walking away from an explosion in slow motion."

Dev shook his head, amused. "Don't think that's my thing."

She grinned. "No? What is your thing, then?"

Dev thought about that for a second. For most of his life, he never really had a choice in anything. He was just surviving, enduring. But right now, walking beside Josie, her laughter breaking through the darkness, this felt different.

"I don't know yet," he admitted.

Josie hummed as if considering his answer, then hooked her arm through his. "Well, maybe you'll figure it out"

The night darkened as it was getting late. It was time for Josie to go home. She urged Dev to escort her back to her place.

"Come on, we're almost there."

They stopped in front of a modest apartment building. Josie fished her keys out of her pocket and glanced at him. "Want to come up? I could make you something to eat… or at least offer you a really bad cup of coffee."

Dev chucked a little bit. He hesitated, but only for a moment. He knew he should go back to Marty's place. He barely knew Josie. But something about the way she looked at him, like he wasn't just another lost cause made it impossible to say no.

"Yeah," he said. "Okay."

Her apartment was small but cozy. Warm lighting, a couch covered in mismatched pillows, books scattered across the coffee table. It felt lived in, safe.

"Make yourself at home," she said, tossing her keys onto the counter. She walked over to the kitchen, opening the fridge. "So, I have… eggs, some leftover takeout, and, um… a bottle of wine." She peeked at him over her shoulder. "Pick your poison."

Dev leaned against the doorway, watching her. "Wine's fine."

She grabbed two glasses and poured them both a drink. They sat on the couch, close but not quite touching. The conversation flowed easily, laughter slipping between them like they had known each other for years.

At some point, Josie tucked her legs under herself and turned to face him fully. "You know, you never told me what you're doing here… in this town."

Dev took a slow sip of his drink. "Just… trying to figure things out."

Josie studied him, then reached out, brushing a strand of hair from his face. "You don't have to tell me. I get it. Sometimes the past is too heavy to carry around all the time."

Something about the way she said it, so soft, so understanding made Dev's chest tighten. He wasn't used to this. Wasn't used to someone looking at him without expecting something in return.

Josie's fingers lingered against his jaw, her touch featherlight. "You can stay tonight if you want," she whispered. "It's late anyways, Sooo…just stay."

Dev didn't answer with words. Instead, he closed the space between them, capturing her lips in a slow, hesitant kiss. Josie melted into him, her fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt, pulling him closer.

The night unraveled around them, whispers against skin, the warmth of shared breaths, the quiet understanding that for just a moment, neither of them had to be alone.

*********

Pleasurable moments passed.

Lying beside Josie in the dim light of her apartment, Dev felt something unfamiliar gnawing at him. It wasn't just the physical closeness, it was the intimacy of it. He had never been this close to someone before, not in this way.

It wasn't that he had never thought about it. Growing up, he had been too caught up in survival, in navigating the mess of his life, to consider what it would be like to be with someone like this. To feel wanted, to feel… connected.

Josie traced her fingers along his arm, watching him. "You okay?" she murmured.

Dev swallowed, nodding. "Yeah. I just feel… different."

She smiled, leaning in to press a soft kiss against his jaw. "Different isn't always bad."

No, it wasn't bad. It was just new. It was pleasurable.

And for the first time in a long time, Dev wasn't sure if he wanted to run from it.