Mara
The ride was quiet.
Not awkward. Not heavy with forced conversation. Just quiet in the way that made my thoughts louder than the engine beneath us.
Cole didn’t touch me more than necessary. His hand stayed steady at my waist, firm enough to keep me balanced, distant enough to remind me I could pull away if I wanted to. That alone did something dangerous to my chest.
Men usually rushed.
They filled silence with promises or jokes or explanations meant to soften what they wanted. Cole let the silence exist, like he trusted it not to betray him.
I wasn’t sure I trusted myself that much.
The city blurred past us, lights streaking and fading, until the streets thinned and the air changed. Fewer signs. Less noise. More space than I was used to breathing in.
He pulled into a lot besid
