The hallway felt warmer now and quieter like the world had softened just for them. Samantha’s steps slowed as she and Haley approached the center. Her pulse, it was picking up for reasons she didn’t want to name.
Then, she saw him.
Maximus.
Standing still in the middle of the hallway like he’d forgotten how to move. She saw how his eyes softened the moment they landed on her, that warm, steady look she’d missed all day.
Her breath caught.
Haley nudged her gently. “Go.”
Samantha didn’t argue.
She walked toward him and each step, she was pulling closer to the one place she’d wanted to be since morning. And when they finally stopped in front of each other, neither spoke.
Maximus’s gaze swept over her. Checking, assessing, and grounding himself. Her green eyes lifted to meet his, and s
