g after the noise faded into something distant and unimportant. She sat on a bench near the back field

The screen was still open, A

t think twice about when you read it. The kind

tared

what she was loo

swer,

ould make what happ

r the screen, then pr

easier

been waiting for som

look up. She

i

ase. Not the quiet confidence that used to make everything

iting for yo

me ou

presence without turning. Then he sat beside her, leaving spa

w," he

at followed wa

ore. Easy ones. Comfortab

thing neither of th

it go?"

h she hadn't realize

how you

ed once

at

ightly, just enough to

ted. Subtle, but there. His jaw

lk to me eith

st smiled

use it w

t wasn't

she?" He di

that. No version of the trut

tched again.Lo

on his knees, staring at the ground li

watch

e part they hadn

prop

d the secrecy, the stolen moments, the

t feel anythi

ows," I

look up. "

going on

. His head turned, his

told

head. "She fi

idn't lie

ragging a hand throu

m. "You're not

id. "Just not

slightly.

ted. It w

was e

in her chest to tight

this far," he

ds land

d. Not

...

his gaze.

at her, the

pposed to tur

ld settled u

hat you t

the t

just co

back to her, s

s not

"What's not fair is prete

t interr

't a

e he c

continued. "We bo

een them fel

dn't lo

st about something." His brows pulled to

ds didn

urpris

, Liam just

e look

it." That's not

use. Longe

to feel li

d once, sl

didn't care about Ari

as. Of cou

looke

urse y

e must have shifted,

at suppose

her head.

said. "

ned back

e about her."

n't ac

eed to be,

didn't

at stayed with her T

ned, but she did

?" she

h his hair again, the

ot that

a small laugh

ha

licated so you don't have to ans

n an

did

l the answe

he was confirming somethin

ka

ri

in. "It's fi

he asked,

him. Really

irst time, sh

asier choice

e." Isn't it? H

do all this for

ze. "You didn't

ade hi

ple

wanted something you w

didn't n

anded

continued, quieter now, "you d

idn't

ng he could say that wo

looke

chasing for weeks whate

would feel like," she said.

ade it

d up. "I

her. "Iris-" She

tod

e done enough

wait for

d and wal