You step out of the faculty building laughing, the weight of the day falling off your shoulders like an old backpack. Your friends keep talking about class, about what they’ll do next, about everything except what really matters right now. Because you already felt it.

The car is there. Instantly recognizable. Black, with dark windows, parked right in front of the exit. He never pulls up this close. Never does. He usually waits on the corner, half a block away, as if the world still isn’t ready to see him with you.

But today... today is different.

The window rolls down slowly. The sound cuts through your skin. You see him. Liam. That same impassive expression as always, but his eyes… his eyes are searching for you.

“Are you coming with me?”