(Andrew POV)
I'm pacing my living room, shoes scuffing the hardwood, when Julia's text buzzes in my pocket from earlier today, still unanswered. It's been sitting there, heavy, since I got back from the park with Sophie yesterday. My phone's a minefield. Luke's voicemail response from this morning, "Good for you, man, don't screw it up", mixes with Julia's push, but Sophie's hand in mine at the pond, when she said "No more disappearing?", overrides it all. I've been a ghost too long, and she's calling me on it. Time to make it real.
I stop pacing, grabbing my jacket off the couch. The ring's in my pocket, a small box with velvet, it’s been there since I picked it up last week on a whim. I didn't plan it then, just saw it, bought it, but now? Now it's burning a hole, screaming tonight. I
