“Come over. I want to show you something.”

That’s what Reo texts me.

And it’s not the words that shake me. It’s the way they land. Soft. Not commanding. Not harsh. Just… plain. Like he doesn’t want a fight tonight. Like maybe—for once—he just wants me.

I sit in the car for too long outside his building with my hand cradling my stomach, as I wonder why I still answer him like this. Why my heart still races when I see his name light up my phone. Why the idea of him choosing me still feels like a prize I’m not allowed to want.

I tell myself it’s nothing.

Just...