Jesse

After we got back to the hotel, Lia went out onto the balcony to get some fresh air. I joined her and jabbed her with my elbow gently.

“You’re thinking too hard.”

Lia flinched, barely masking her glare. “And you’re sneaking up on people again.”

I smirked, leaning against the balcony railing. “I wasn’t sneaking. You’re just too busy brooding.”

She huffed. “I’m not brooding. I’m thinking.”

“Uh-huh. And what’s the difference?”

“Brooding is pointless. Thinking leads to solutions.”

I gestured toward the city lights stretching beyond us. “Found any?”

Silence. Then, a begrudging, “No.”

“That’s why I wanted to talk to you.”

She shifted, her expression cautious. “You...