Alina’s POV
Chloe looked both the same and completely different at the same time. She still had her messy bun of blonde hair and bright blue eyes that seemed to see right through me. Her relaxed style still made her look put-together, even in just jeans and a sweater. But there was something new in her look—an air of caution that hadn’t been there before, hinting that the past few weeks had changed her too.
“Oh my God,” she exclaimed, standing up to pull me into a hug that felt like a warm welcome home. “You actually made it! I was worried you’d get kidnapped or something before you got here.”
“Almost happened twice,” I said, only half-joking as I slid into the seat across from her. “But here I am.”
“With a bodyguard,” Chloe noted, glancing over at the table by the window where Maddox
