And for a second—I just stare at him.
Because he looks… Christ.
He looks unreal.
Like a movie star cowboy come to life.
The neon lights catch on his face, carving him into something sharper, harder, almost larger than life.
His shoulders seem broader.
His presence is heavier.
Like he’s not just a man standing in front of me—but something bigger.
Something inevitable.
Something I was always going to come back to no matter how far I ran.
Beautiful.
Untouchable.
Dangerous to love.
My heart stutters.
Because I know better.
I know how this ends.
I know what it feels like to lose him.
And still—against my better judgement—I take his hand.
Like I don’t have a choice.
Like maybe I never did.
“What is Alex doing?” I manage, my voice distant even to my own ears.
“He’s taking the truck back,” Benji says, already moving, already pulling me into motion.
Away from the only thing that feels stable.
Toward something unknown.
“What?” I blink. “And what are we doing?”
He stops.
Just long enough to turn back to me.
Those blue eyes locking onto mine like they’re trying to anchor me in place.
“I told you already, we’re taking care of business, Ezzy.”
My pulse spikes.
