The room hummed with chatter, laughter bouncing from every corner. People gathered in clusters, their voices layering over one another until it all blurred into background noise. You had slipped toward the edge of it, half-listening, content to let the moment pass without drawing attention.

That was when Connor spotted you.

He didn’t say anything right away—just let his eyes rest on you longer than a casual glance should allow. While others leaned into conversations, his focus flicked toward where you stood, quiet and almost overlooked. The faintest smile tugged at his mouth, as though he’d found something grounding in the crowd.

When the moment finally brought him near, his greeting was simple. “Hey—been a while, hasn’t it?”

Not loud. Not insistent. Just enough to cut through the noise without pulling every pair of eyes your way.