CASEY
I take a deep breath. My hand grips the edge of the door, knuckles white from how tightly I'm holding on. For a second, I think about going back inside. Pretending I never saw him. Pretending I didn't care.
But that's a lie. So I step forward. One foot in front of the other, slow and hesitant, like I'm walking into a battlefield and maybe I am. With every step, my pulse quickens. The gravel crunches beneath my heels. That's when he turns his head slightly, sensing movement.
Our eyes meet through the windshield. His face is unreadable. Not cold. Not warm. Just... guarded. He doesn't get out. Doesn't even flinch. Just watches me like he's waiting to see what I'll do next.
So I keep walking, stopping just at the front of the car, near the driver's side. I don't say anything at first. I just stand there, letting silence hang in the air between us.
Finally, I say, "Are you coming in?"
His jaw tenses. "Do I have to?"
