Rivka looked at the man beside her. There was something about him that felt strangely familiar, something she could not quite place but could not ignore either. Something stirred in her heart, though she could not understand why.
"Friends?" she asked softly, her tone edged with uncertainty.
Jayden's eyes were resolute but impossibly gentle, as if he could see straight into her soul. "Yeah. Friends."
Then, with the slightest hint of a smile, he added, "We can leave your brother out of it for now."
Rivka frowned a little, even more curious about this strange man, but deep down, she did not feel threatened by him. Instead, she found herself trusting him for reasons she could not explain.
"All right, then. Hi. I'm Rivka."
Her smile was as warm as spring sunlight, and it instantly melted
