Third person's POV
Connor’s message came late in the afternoon, slipping onto Lily’s phone while she was staring at a screen full of code she’d already reviewed twice without really seeing.
Connor: Hey. Can we hang out? Just wanna talk to you, no drama.
She stared at the notification longer than necessary, jaw tightening. The word talk felt loaded, heavy with subtext he was pretending didn’t exist. She hadn’t spoken to him properly in weeks, and that distance had been intentional and necessary. Still, old habits tugged at her, the instinct to soften rejection so it wouldn’t bruise anyone’s ego. After a moment, she typed back.
Lily: I can’t tonight. I’m working late.
It was true. She was working late. But the truth was only part of it. The rest—that she didn’t want to see him, didn’t
