The car door shut, and the noise disappeared instantly.
Silence filled the space.
I leaned back against the seat, my fingers resting loosely in my lap, my expression still perfectly in place, as if nothing had happened.
Mia kept glancing at me.
Once.
Twice.
Then again.
She didn’t say anything at first, but I could feel it—her curiosity, her hesitation.
Finally, she spoke. “Who was that?”
I didn’t look at her.
“No one important.”
The words came out calm. Flat.
Like he had never existed.
Mia didn’t respond immediately. But I could feel it—she didn’t believe me. But she didn’t push either.
The tension stayed.
By the time we got home, the air felt different.
Quieter.
Controlled.
I stepped out of the car and walked inside.
The moment I entered the living room, I saw them.
L
