And kissed her, completely unrestrained.
***
Mia stepped out of the office building, squinting slightly as the late-afternoon sun hit her face. Her shoulders sagged the moment she loosened her grip on her bag, exhaustion settling deep into her bones after a long day of work. Cars crawled along the road in front of her, horns blaring, the usual evening traffic clogging the street.
She wasn’t heading home yet. It was just an evening break.
She paused near the sidewalk and pulled out her phone, her thumb hovering for a second before she dialed Hazel’s number. The call rang. Once. Twice. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her fingers tightening around the phone.
No answer.
She tried again. Still nothing.
With a quiet sigh, she lowered the phone and rubbed her temple. Her gaze drifted across the street, landing on a small coffee truck parked near the corner. The sight of it stirred a faint craving.
She took a deep breath and stepped off the curb.
Halfway across the road, the sound of an engine roaring far too loudly sliced through the air.
Mia’s head snapped up.
A car was speeding straight toward her.
Her heart slammed violently against her ribs. Her legs froze, panic locking her body in place. For a split second, the world seemed to slow—headlights glaring, tires screeching.
Then suddenly—
A hard shove hit her from the side.
She lost her balance, the ground rushing up too fast as she tumbled down. Her breath knocked out of her lungs as she landed, someone’s body shielding hers as they hit the pavement together.
The car sped past them, not slowing down, disappearing into traffic.
Mia lay there, stunned, her ears ringing. Slowly, she opened her eyes.
Her hands trembled as she pushed against the ground and lifted her head.
James.
Her breath caught painfully in her throat.
He was lying beside her, his face twisted in pain, jaw clenched tightly. Blood seeped from a cut near his temple, trailing down the side of his face. His arm was also bleeding, his fingers curling and uncurling as if even that small movement hurt.
She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, her chest tightening.
‘What the hell is happening? Why do I keep running into him again and again?’
She hadn’t seen him this much in the five years when they lived under the same roof—and now it felt like fate was cruelly dragging him back into her life.
Her brows knit together as she looked back at him.
James groaned softly and forced himself to sit up, one hand bracing against the ground. His breathing was uneven. Despite the pain, his eyes searched her face frantically.
“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice strained.
He reached out, his hand gripping her shoulder.
Before she could answer—before she could even steady her breathing—the world tilted.
