East Highland felt quieter at sunset.

Not peaceful — just softer.

Rue and Cassie lay on the hood of Cassie’s old Civic, still warm from the day. The sky was a mess of cotton-candy pink and orange, clouds stretched thin like they might disappear if you blinked too long.

Rue had her hands folded on her stomach.

Cassie rested her head beside her, hair spilling over the metal.

Neither of them spoke for a while.

That was kind of their thing lately.

Comfortable silence. Safe silence.

Rue finally broke it. “You ever feel like people only see what they wanna take from you?”