The night air was cool and still, carrying the faint scent of rain that had fallen earlier. I leaned against Sam’s car, crossing my arms over my chest as if I could shield myself from the storm that had just rolled into my life. A storm in the form of Zack. The sound of the car engine shutting off made my heart skip, and the instant I saw him stepping out, my mind scrambled for a coherent thought—any thought—but none came.
He walked with that familiar, confident stride, one hand brushing the car door casually, the other swinging loosely by his side. His presence had a gravitational pull that I had long tried to deny, yet here he was, and denial felt pointless.
“Eve? Are you okay?” His voice cut through the quiet of the street, careful, concerned, but underneath it, I could hear the urgen
