The drive to the diner was a quiet one. The trees lining the road blurred past, their branches swaying under the weight of the wind. My grip on the steering wheel was tight, knuckles white, as I tried to steady the storm of emotions brewing inside me.
I kept replaying Nolan’s words from this morning in my mind—one step at a time. But each step felt heavier than the last, each moment spent in this town pulling me deeper into something I didn’t fully understand yet.
When I arrived, the diner was just beginning to pick up with the usual morning crowd. Locals gathered in booths, drinking coffee, sharing idle chatter about the day ahead. The familiarity of it was almost comforting. Almost.
Jace was already waiting for me in a corner booth, a cup of coffee in front of him, fingers idly tracin
