Aria’s hand slipped from mine. I could still feel the faint warmth of her skin when she pulled away, but then she turned without another word. The sound of her footsteps was sharp against the quiet street as she crossed to her car. I didn’t move. I just stood there, watching her silhouette framed by the dim glow of the lamppost as she opened the driver’s door.
She paused for half a heartbeat before getting in, her face turned just slightly—like she wanted to look back but stopped herself. Then the door shut, and the engine growled to life. I stood, watching as her taillights bled red into the night, shrinking with distance until the dark swallowed her whole.
The silence afterward pressed against me like a weight. My chest tightened, and I drew in a slow breath, then let it slip out throu
