Emily
The ride back was quiet.
Not the comfortable kind of silence, not the easy one that came from familiarity. It was the kind that pressed against my ears, heavy and awkward, filled with thoughts neither of us wanted to voice.
Nathan drove with one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting casually on the console. His expression was neutral, relaxed even, as though the evening had been nothing more than another obligation checked off his list.
I sat beside him, staring straight ahead, my reflection faintly visible in the darkened window.
Lily wasn’t here to fill the space with her sharp remarks or calculated smiles. My parents were in another car, following behind. It was just the two of us.
And my thoughts.
They refused to quiet.
My mind replayed the scene over and over aga
