ACIR HILLS
I didn't want the evening to end.
I stared through the passenger-side window, watching the city pass by in streaks of gold and white. The buildings were taller here, their glass facades reflecting the lights from the streets below. Traffic had thinned considerably now that the evening was well underway, leaving long stretches of road where the only things moving were cars and the occasional motorcycle weaving between lanes.
Two hours, that was how far we were from Vista Central—away from Newford University, away from people who knew us, and most importantly, away from anyone who might recognize us sitting together.
Maybe that was why I could breathe, why I had been smiling all evening… or maybe it was simply because I was with him.
I turned my attention toward Zaijian. His
