Chapter 127

NOAH I was driving home after another long shift at the hospital, exhaustion settling deep into my bones. The road ahead was empty at this hour, quiet and dim beneath the streetlights, and I knew that if nothing unexpected happened, I’d be home soon. As I eased off the accelerator near the transit center, something by the curb caught my eye. A figure was squatting there, head lowered, phone clutched tightly in her hands. I slowed instinctively. There was something familiar about the way she sat—too still, too withdrawn—as if the weight of the night itself had pressed her down. I pulled over. And when I got a clearer look, my suspicion was confirmed. It was Olivia. “Olivia,” I called out, my voice colder than I intended. “What are you doing here this late at night?” She looked up sharply. Her eyes widened when she saw me, surprise flashing across her face—but it faded quickly, replaced by something more fragile. Panic. Anxiety. “I’m waiting for a ride,” she said quietly, almost in a whi