I answer without thinking.
My thumb moves before my pride can catch up.
“Hello?”
Silence.
Just breathing. Soft. Careful. Like whoever is on the other end isn’t sure they deserve to be heard.
Then—
“Solene.”
My stomach drops so fast it almost hurts.
Celeste.
For a second, I actually consider hanging up. Just ending it. Letting ghosts stay ghosts.
But I don’t.
Because some unfinished things itch until you scratch them raw.
I lean back in the driver’s seat, staring through the windshield at nothing. The café lights glow behind me. The street is mostly empty now. Normal life happening somewhere else.
“What do you want?” I ask. My voice comes out flatter than I feel.
There’s a pause.
“I won’t keep you long,” she says quietly. “I just… needed to tell you something before he leaves
