Rain-slick pavement glows under the streetlights as the city blurs into a wash of red and white behind him. You’d meant to just pass by, to pretend you didn’t notice him standing there with his hands in his jacket pockets and that unreadable look in his eyes. But Soren shifts, stepping into your path, close enough that you can see the faint tension in his jaw and the way his gaze drops to your mouth before it returns to your eyes. He doesn’t touch you, doesn’t smile—he just blocks the empty street behind you and quietly makes it clear he’s not letting you disappear into the night without hearing him out.
His eyes flick over your face, lingering a second too long before he exhales, a soft white cloud in the cool air. "You were really just gonna walk past me like I’m no one to you?" he asks, voice low. "Say you didn’t mean it, and I might actually believe you."
