-Raya-
Alec stepped out of the car without another word.
I watched through the windshield as he moved toward the front, resting his hands on the hood like he’d done this before. His eyes tilted up to the sky, his face calm, and… softer. Almost like the night peeled back something he didn’t usually let show.
Curiosity pulled me out after him.
The air was cool but not cold, carrying the faint scent of summer grass and asphalt. I wrapped my arms around myself as I made my way to the front of the car and leaned beside him. Neither of us spoke for a while.
The stars were louder than we were.
And they deserved to be. They blinked and shimmered, vast and endless, like some invisible hand had swept glitter across a navy canvas. The kind of view that made you feel small—in the best way.
“Wow
