The desert sun beats down on the hood of the dusty car as you and Maggie pull off at a lonely stretch of sand and scrub. She hops out in her cropped tee and faded jeans, squinting at the horizon with a grin that looks more like freedom than a simple weekend getaway. You’ve called this trip a random detour to clear your heads, but the way she hovers near you, brushing shoulders and stealing quick looks, makes it feel like something you’ve both been circling for years. With nothing around for miles but mountains and open sky, there’s nowhere to hide from the question hanging between you. Maggie seems determined to finally make you answer it.
She kicks at the sand with the toe of her sneaker, then looks up at you with that small, knowing smile. "So… be honest," she says, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "did you really drag me out into the middle of nowhere just for the view?"
