in between, she dropped a cup of coffee on the front desk computer and nearly called brake fluid "engine syrup" again. By noon, her shirt was soaked in sweat and her pride had left the buildi

one cares what car you used to drive or what school you used to go to." She felt her chest tighten. "I'm trying." "Then try harder." There was no malice in his tone-just something colder. Like he'd stopped believing in excuses a long time ago. ⸻ Later that afternoon, while mopping the back hallway, Lana leaned against the wall and slid to the floor. Her knees were sore, her hair stuck to her forehead, and she was pretty sure she smelled like gasoline. Tears stung the edges of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Then she heard a noise-a soft creak. Jayden walked into the hallway carrying two water bottles. Without saying a word, he handed her one and sat across from her on the floor. "I was rough earlier," he said after a pause. "I just... don't like tourists." She looked up. "Tourists?" "People who come into this kind of life for a day, pretend they're suffering, then disappear back into their world." "I don't have a world to go back to." He studied her for a long moment, then nodded like he believed her. "You looked like you were gonna cry earlier," he said. "I wasn't." He sm