"Let's head home!" he repeated, his voice as gentle as a sigh carried by the night breeze.
In that moment, Aija felt the defenses she had built around her heart crumble with a thunderous crash. Her once-dark world seemed to crack open, letting a ray of sunlight stream in.
Victor grasped her hand, scooped up her bag from the corner, and made a beeline for the door. She followed, first in small steps, then larger ones, until she was running alongside him…
Finally, he scooped her up into his arms with ease.
She didn't resist, turning her face into his chest, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. The subtle fragrance of his cologne, cool and distant, yet inexplicably comforting, enveloped her senses.
It felt as if she had melted into his embrace like this once before, and perhaps in
