Maya sat in the passenger seat, her fingers playing nervously with the edge of her purse. Streetlights flashed across her face as Elias drove, the hum of the engine filling the silence that had grown heavy between them.

He could feel her mood…the way she avoided looking at him, the way she kept glancing out the window as if searching for calm in the passing night.

Elias cleared his throat softly. “You’ve been quiet since we left the house.”

Maya turned slightly, forcing a small smile. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not,” he said gently, his voice low. “You’ve been frowning since lunch ended.”

She sighed, leaning her head back. “I just…...