Arielle didn’t expect the night to take a serious turn.
One moment they were laughing in the snow like two idiots who forgot the world existed. The next, Noah suddenly grew quiet—too quiet for someone who usually had a sarcastic comment ready to fire.
They had just reached the edge of the neighborhood, the cozy golden lights of the bookstore glowing in the distance. Snow fell softer here, like feathers drifting down.
Noah let go of her hand.
Not in a harsh way.
Not in an “I-regret-this” way.
More like… something inside him had shifted.
Arielle blinked, unsure. “Did I say something? Did I break something? Did my luck—”
“No,” he murmured. “It’s not you.”
Those three words instantly sent her into emotional cardiac arrest.
“It’s never you,” he added, softer.
Her heart restarted.
Bu
