The night air clung to her skin, cool and sharp, tugging at the edges of her hair and sleeves. The bar behind her was closed for the night, the last echoes of music and chatter swallowed by silence. She had stepped outside to breathe, to finish one of her closing duties, and there he was, sitting on the curb near the dimly lit parking lot.
He looked… lonely. Sad. Not his usual easy, teasing self, not the confidence that seemed to radiate from him in every other moment. His shoulders slumped slightly, hands resting limply on his knees, gaze fixed somewhere far away, though she couldn’t tell where.
Aniela’s chest tightened. A sudden, visceral tug of sympathy cut through her usual caution. He looks… broken. Or just… tired of carrying the weight of something I don’t know. She hesitated, deba
