Alex took the train.
It still felt strange—standing on the platform with ordinary people, no black car waiting at the curb, no Troy’s hand on the gearshift. The limited freedom from the earlier deal hadn’t been fully revoked, and today was a class day. He used it.
The university library was half-full when he arrived. Morning light cut through the high windows in long pale stripes. He found an empty table on the second floor near the economics stacks and spread his notes out. For twenty minutes he actually worked. The numbers made sense. The quiet felt almost normal.
Kevin dropped into the chair across from him without warning.
“You’re early,” Kevin said. He set a coffee down in front of Alex. “And alone. That’s new.”
Alex closed the folder. “Class day. I took the train.”
Kevin studie
