Her laugh came unbidden, quiet and disbelieving. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Maybe,” he said, eyes locked on her. “But I mean it.”
They ate slowly, conversation weaving between her patients, his work with the MC, and small details that shouldn’t have mattered but did—the way he noticed her habit of biting her lip when she was deep in thought, the way she pointed out how he always avoided talking about his own pain.
Later, when their plates were empty and the world outside had gone quieter, Ash slid out of the booth and offered his hand.
“C’mon.”
She frowned. “Where?”
He nodded toward the door. “Nowhere far. Just… outside.”
She took his hand, warm and calloused, and let him lead her. Outside, the bike gleamed under the streetlight, and Ash leaned against it, pulling her closer until she st
