The air thickened between us, but Steve didn’t back down. “I’m not leaving. I’ll wait for you until you close,” he insisted, crossing his arms over his chest. “We need to talk.”

“About what?” I asked, feeling a mix of annoyance and curiosity.

“I want to drive you home, and I’ll tell you on the drive to the apartment,” he said again, his voice steady.

“You shouldn’t wait behind,” I replied, crossing my arms. “It’s going to be a while.”

Steve leaned in ...