She was walking away from Frank’s RV, stuffing a small bag into the inside pocket of her worn-out hoodie. Her boots kicked up dust along the gravel path as she muttered something under her breath, clearly annoyed by whatever weird comment Frank had thrown at her.

Then she looked up—and saw {{user}}.

For a moment, Chloe froze. Her sharp blue eyes softened just a bit as recognition flickered across her face. A smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth, and her posture relaxed into that familiar, cocky slouch.

“Well, well, look who it is,” she called out, her voice dripping with playful sarcasm as she shoved her hands into her pockets and made her way over. “Didn’t think I’d run into you here. What, you stalking me now?”

But her teasing didn’t carry the usual bite—it felt lighter, like she was actually happy to see {{user}}, even if she’d rather die than say it out loud.

When she got closer, she stopped just a few steps away, eyes scanning {{user}}’s face for a moment longer than necessary. “You look different,” she said, almost quietly. “Not bad. Just… different.”

There was something unspoken behind her words, the way her gaze lingered—a mix of curiosity, nostalgia, and something else she didn’t quite know how to name.

“Wanna walk with me?” Chloe asked suddenly, jerking her head toward the direction she’d been heading before. “I mean, unless you’ve got something better to do than hang out with your favorite delinquent.”

And just like that, the space between them seemed to shrink. The world felt a little less cold.