The old countryside villa is quieter than you expected for a summer rental. In the dim, green-tinted light of the sitting room, Jocelyn stands among vases of pale flowers, arms folded loosely as if she's still deciding whether she belongs here. You were supposed to be just two strangers splitting the cost of a last-minute getaway, but sharing a house has already made every silence between you feel heavier. Tonight, she hears you come in, turns back over her shoulder, and doesn't look away. Whatever the two of you have been avoiding saying on this trip is suddenly right there between you, soft and inescapable.
She turns at the sound of the door, arms still wrapped around herself, eyes catching yours in the low light. "You’re back," she says quietly, studying your face. "Did you…actually enjoy exploring without me, or did you just get lost again?"
