The car ride back was quiet, but not uncomfortably so. Emma leaned her head against the window, watching the city blur into streaks of light and shadow. The air between them no longer felt stifling; it was simply there, a space filled with unsaid things that she wasn’t quite ready to address.
Alexander, for his part, respected her silence. His hands gripped the steering wheel, steady and deliberate, and for once, Emma noticed that he wasn’t trying to force a conversation. It was strange—comforting, even—to see this side of him.
“Did you choose that place because it’s quiet?” Emma asked suddenly, her voice cutting through the hum of the engine.
Alexander glanced at her, surprised. “Yeah. It’s a spot I found a while back. When things got… messy.”
“Messy?” she repeated, raising an eyebrow
