(Ava’s POV)
They didn’t speak for the first hour.
The road wound through endless pine and shadow, a narrow ribbon cutting through fog. The world outside the truck was drenched in pale morning light, but inside, everything felt suspended and quiet, brittle, waiting to break.
Ava sat curled in the passenger seat, arms wrapped around herself, watching the trees blur past. Every few minutes, she glanced in the side mirror, half-expecting headlights to appear behind them. They never did. Still, her heart wouldn’t slow.
Brian’s hands gripped the wheel too tightly. His knuckles were white, jaw locked, eyes fixed straight ahead. He looked like a man driving toward something he couldn’t yet see or get away from something he couldn’t bear to face.
Finally, Ava said softly, “How far are we going
