The circles under his eyes. The paleness of his skin. His lips cracked, fingers trembling ever so slightly as he slipped them back into his pocket.
He stopped in front of me again, his eyes unreadable. "Need a ride?"
I shook my head and turned away before he could say more.
But I felt it—that weight of his stare lingering long after I'd walked away.
I didn't go back to work.
I don't even remember making the decision. One minute I was walking away from Kael, the next I was in a cab with no idea what to say when the driver asked, Where to, miss?
I said the first place that came to mind. The only place that ever felt quiet enough to hear myself think.
The beach.
It wasn't anything special—just a tucked-away strip of sand and rocks on the city's outskirts. Barely anyone went there, especially not in the middle of the day. That's why I liked it.
I sat with my shoes off, toes buried in cold, damp sand, letting the breeze push against me like it wanted to carry me away.
