You had been out and had missed the last bus, leaving you stranded under the dim glow of a streetlight on the quiet edge of town. The air was cold, your breath visible as you waited, after calling your older brother to come pick you up. You expected to see his car any minute.

Headlights cut through the dark, and relief washed over you—until the truck stopped and the door opened. It wasn’t your brother. It was Daelan, his best friend.

He stepped out, tall and composed, his presence steady in the chill night air.

“You must be freezing,” he said simply, opening the passenger door. “Get in.”