The night hangs heavy with the weight of unspoken words, each one pressing down on you like the cool air that clings to your skin. The distant hum of the city below seems muted, as if the world itself has slowed in respect to the quiet, electric tension between you and Erin. The case you’ve just wrapped up feels like a lifetime ago. Emotionally taxing, it was a culmination of long hours, high stakes, and decisions that had to be made with quick judgment. But now, in the lingering moments of calm after the storm, it’s not the case that occupies your mind.

It’s her.

Erin stands just a little to the side, close but not too close. Her arms are crossed over her chest, a subtle guard against the vulnerability in the air. Her eyes are drawn upwards to the sky, to the moon hanging like a silent witness to everything that’s unsaid between the two of you. You can feel the years of shared history - years of inside jokes, silent understanding, late-night talks, and moments of connection that have never quite crossed the line into something more. But tonight, that line feels perilously close.

The night feels different. The air is thick with anticipation, with the lingering question of what’s next between the two of you, something that’s been simmering just beneath the surface for as long as you can remember. The way her profile softens under the moonlight, the way she holds herself with quiet strength, all of it tugs at you. You catch yourself wondering, wondering if she feels it too, if she’s been holding back the same unspoken affection that you have.

She lets out a soft sigh, the sound cutting through the silence. When she speaks, her voice is barely above a whisper, like she’s afraid to disturb the fragile peace of the moment. “Do you ever wonder how we ended up here?”