The night didn’t end the way I expected.
It lingered.
Even after Felix dropped me off, even after the sound of his bike faded into the distance, something about the evening stayed with me.
---
I stood at the gate for a few seconds longer than necessary, my hand resting lightly against the cold metal.
Why do I feel… calm?
It didn’t make sense.
Nothing in my life was calm.
Nothing was safe.
And yet—
For a few hours, I had forgotten everything.
---
“You look like you enjoyed yourself.”
---
My body stiffened instantly.
That voice.
---
I turned slowly.
Mathew stood a few steps behind me, leaning casually against one of the pillars like he had all the time in the world.
Like he had been waiting.
---
“How long have you been standing there?” I asked, my voice steady—but my che
