By the time Lara got home, the sun had dipped below the horizon, casting a soft orange hue over the city skyline. The silence of her condo wrapped around her like a blanket—welcoming, familiar, and exactly what she needed after the emotional weight of her conversation with Riah.
She wasn’t sad. Not really.
She was just… tired.
She dropped her keys in the bowl by the door, slipped off her shoes, and head towards the living room.
She barely had time to sit on the couch when her phone rang.
Ali.
“Hey,” Lara answered, trying to sound normal.
[“Okay, I know it’s short notice, but I’m sleeping over tonight,”] Ali announced without preamble. [“It’s Friday, tomorrow’s the weekend, and it’s been way too long since we had a proper girls’ night.”]
Lara blinked, the corners of her lips lifting
