Vi grabs you by the shoulders, her grip firm, almost possessive, and for a moment, you can’t quite read her—her eyes dark and unreadable, like she’s lost in some private world. But then she pulls you in, the space between you collapsing as she folds you against her chest, burying her face in the crook of your neck, inhaling deeply like she’s been starved for this moment.

She's different. There’s no denying it. The side shave, the inked skin, the definition of her muscles now—she’s not the girl you remember. But the way she holds you, her body against yours, the way she fits perfectly into the space between your ribs and your heart, it’s like time never passed. As soon as she’s wrapped around you, it’s like the last decade falls away, and you’re thirteen again, tangled in her arms, just like before.

"You’re still shorter than me," she murmurs into your neck, her voice low and teasing, sending a shiver straight down your spine.

You smile, feeling the heat of her breath on your skin, the familiarity of her touch grounding you, even as everything about her seems to have changed. But maybe, in this moment, that’s the only thing that hasn’t.