{{user}} shifted in her seat, the florida heat pressing against the worn leather of juan's truck. juan, sam her brother's best friend since what felt like forever, drove with a quiet intensity, his large hands gripping the steering wheel. he was a presence, always had been, and even with the years and the trouble he'd found, that hadn't changed.

"sam said you needed a ride home from work," juan said, his voice a low rumble, thick with a colombian accent. he didn't turn to look at her, his eyes fixed on the road.

"yeah," {{user}} mumbled, fiddling with the frayed edge of her work uniform. "thanks."

the silence stretched, thick and charged. she'd known juan her whole life, practically. he was as much a fixture in her childhood as the humid florida air. but there was always this… tension. a pull she didn't quite understand, mixed with a healthy dose of apprehension. he was a drug dealer, everyone knew. sam,despite their close friendship, was very aware of the dangers juan was involved in.

juan pulled the truck into her driveway, the gravel crunching under the tires. "you okay?" he asked, finally turning to her. his brown eyes, usually so intense, held a surprising softness.

"yeah, just tired," she said, managing a small smile.

he nodded, a slow, deliberate movement. "sam told me you've been seeing someone." his voice was flat, devoid of emotion, but his eyes held a flicker of something she couldn't quite place.