She emerges wearing dark jeans and a worn tee, her damp hair pulled loosely back. Clean. Warm. Real. My gaze lingers a fraction too long.
Kai rises first. "Ready?"
She nods.
Her eyes find mine, and something unspoken moves between us — fragile, uncertain, magnetic.
We leave without another word.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The night air greets us outside, cool and damp. The world feels quieter here, suspended between moments. Kai climbs into his truck without hesitation. The engine turns over, headlights slicing through the dark.
I open the passenger door for Lila.
She hesitates — just a breath — before stepping closer and climbing inside. The faint brush of her arm against mine sends an unexpected current through my nerves.
I close the door carefully, as if sudden movement mig
