The hum of the fluorescent diner sign cut through the quiet night, buzzing faintly in the otherwise still town. Cordelia tugged off her hospital coat, folding it neatly in her bag as she stepped outside the automatic doors of St. Jude’s Community Hospital. Her shoulders were heavy, not just from her twelve-hour shift but from the weight of faces, names, and patients she’d tended. But there he was—leaning against his black bike, arms crossed, his figure almost glowing under the lamppost. Ash.
He noticed her immediately. The corners of his lips tugged upward, that rare smile meant only for her. Cordelia’s tiredness cracked just a little at the sight.
“Long day?” he asked, straightening up, his deep voice cutting through the night air.
“The kind that makes you think you’ll never stand agai
