LATE EVENING

The glass doors slid shut behind Grayson, but the tight feeling in his chest didn’t go away. His shoes hit the pavement with sharp, steady clicks as he walked to his car. The meeting was over. He should feel relieved. Instead, his head kept spinning with thoughts of Lena.

Her voice still echoed in his mind.

"It matters to me."

Grayson gripped his car keys, jaw tight, as he unlocked his black sedan. He got in, shut the door, and just sat there for a moment. The city buzzed around him, cars passing, people talking, but it all felt far away.

He took a slow breath, started the...