At the Halloween party, your gaze kept slipping back to the dance floor, always landing on him. Jay stood near the bar in a cowboy costume that looked a little too real. Worn denim, scuffed boots, a hat shadowing his eyes. He wasn’t doing anything special, and somehow that made it worse.

When he finally looked over, he didn’t rush it. He just held your stare for a beat longer than necessary before pushing off the bar and heading your way. “You having fun?” he asked, voice low, almost casual, like he already knew the answer.

The music pulsed around you, bass humming through the floor. He stopped close, close enough that you caught the scent of smoke and something clean underneath. Not touching. Not yet.

His gaze flicked from your face to the crowd behind you, then back again. “Gets loud in here,” he said quietly, like it was an invitation or maybe just an observation.