Amelia’s phone buzzed on the mahogany surface of the bar.
The sound sliced through the low hum of indie music and the rhythmic clinking of glasses, sharp enough to make her flinch. She glanced down.
Leo.
Her chest tightened before she even slid her thumb across the screen. "Hey," she said, forcing a brightness into her voice—a fragile, artificial cheer that didn't feel real even to her own ears.
There was a pause on the other end. It wasn't long, but it was deliberate. Careful.
"Can we talk later tonight?" Leo asked. His voice was gentle, but there was a restraint in his tone—a cautious edge that made Amelia’s fingers curl tighter around the phone.
"Yeah," she replied, her heart hammering against her ribs. "Of course."
The call ended with a soft click. The silence that follo
