"Running away again?"
Craig's voice was warm and teasing, but there was something underneath it, concern. So gentle it almost breaks her.
A tiny breath escaped Merlina, half a laugh, half a release. "No. Not this time."
"What was that text?" Craig asked, his voice soft and curious, not demanding, carrying a sweetness that felt like he was cradling the moment rather than questioning it.
"Nothing," she said, shifting the phone slightly against her ear, suddenly feeling seventeen again, shy and fluttery. "I just… wanted you to know."
Her voice cracked on know, and she turned toward the cab window, blinking fast.
There was a pause between them, fragile and electric, the kind of quiet that felt strangely intimate.
"Feels good to know," he said at first, calm and even, like he was holding himself back.
