Morning slid gently into the safe house, golden sunlight spilling across the rooms like warm honey.
The smell of coffee drifted through the air, mixing with the soft clatter of mugs and the low murmur of sleepy voices.
Nora and Lena were already at the dining table, wrapped in oversized hoodies, eating cereal from mismatched bowls.
Eli and Kai were arguing about whose turn it was to wash dishes; clearly, neither intended to do it.
But Harrison…
Harrison was silent.
He stood by the window, arms folded, eyes locked on the distant ocean, though his mind was far away.
He hadn't slept.
His jaw was tight, his shoulders rigid, and every time someone mentioned Amelia's name, his eyes flickered with a worry he tried to bury.
The girls noticed. They exchanged quiet glances.
They knew why.
A soft creak echoed from down the hall.
Moments later, Amelia stepped out.
Her hair was loosely tied, dark circles under her eyes exposing the sleepless night she had barely survived.
The letter from Zane lay folded in her hoodie pocket like a weight pressing against her ribs.
Harrison turned instantly.
"Amelia," he said gently, voice calm yet soaked with unspoken fear. "Did you… Sleep at all?"
"A bit," forcing a small smile as she sat down.
Nora slid her a cup of tea. No words. Just comfort.
Lena folded her arms. "So… are we pretending last night didn't happen, or…?"
Amelia exhaled slowly.
"No. We're not pretending."
She rubbed her temples.
"I thought about it all night," she said quietly. "And I've made a decision."
Four heads leaned in. Harrison remained still, but his entire body was listening.
"I'm not meeting him," Amelia said. "I'm done letting Zane pull me into his chaos."
Nora squeezed her hand, "Are you sure?"
"Yes," Amelia said, stronger this time.
Kai let out a relieved sigh.
Eli nodded firmly and tapped the table. "Good. He dropped that letter like a bomb. You owe him nothing."
But Harrison…
He didn't speak. He watched her with those warm, steady eyes that never demanded but always felt everything.
His jaw clenched. His eyes softened. Relief, fear, love, conflict, they all lived in his silence.
Amelia looked at him.
"Harrison… say something."
He finally spoke, stepping closer.
"If you're sure… then I support you."
He paused.
"But Amelia… the second I saw that letter, it scared me."
She blinked. "Scared you?"
"Because I know what he was to you," he said quietly. "And I know what losing you would feel like."
Silence.
Nora nudged Kai until he stopped slurping.
Lena pretended she wasn't listening.
Amelia's breath hitched, not because of Zane, but because of Harrison's honesty.
She reached out and lightly touched his wrist.
"You're not losing me," she murmured. "Not to him. Not ever."
Harrison swallowed hard, tension melting from his shoulders.
"Okay," he whispered. "Then I'm with you. Whatever you decide."
She nodded. "I've decided."
But even as she spoke, she felt it,
Zane's presence was like a shadow outside the window.
Unseen.
Not gone.
Waiting.
Watching.
The house slowly scattered into morning chaos, Kai hunting for sunscreen, Nora packing snacks, Lena tripping on her beach wrap.
Amelia was gathering plates when Harrison lightly touched her elbow.
"Walk with me?" he murmured.
She nodded, pulse quickening.
The balcony was quiet, bathed in soft sunlight. Waves crashed gently below.
They leaned against the railing. Harrison stood beside her, close enough to warm her shoulder.
Harrison's voice broke the silence.
"I meant what I said earlier… about being scared."
"Why didn't you tell me last night?" Amelia asked softly.
He sighed.
"Because you were overwhelmed. And because…"
He hesitated.
"I didn't want to sound selfish."
"How is that selfish?"
He turned to her fully, eyes deep and raw.
"Because he still affects you. Even when you don't want him to."
His voice dropped lower.
"And I'm scared of being collateral damage when he brings chaos back into your life."
She froze.
"Harrison…"
He stepped a bit closer.
"But I also know who you are now, and what you want.
A small smile tugged his lips.
"And I trust you."
Her heart fluttered.
"You don't have to worry," she whispered. "You're not losing me."
He brushed a strand of hair from her face, soft, slow, lingering.
"I do," he whispered, "because I care."
Their arms touched.
Their breaths mingled.
His fingers grazed the railing beside hers, one inch from touching, one inch from a kiss.
"Harrison…" she breathed.
He swallowed hard, gaze briefly dropping to her lips.
Then—
"Guys!" Lena yelled. "Meeting in two!"
They stepped apart, flustered, hearts racing.
"Duty calls," Harrison murmured.
"Yeah," she whispered.
As they left the balcony, his fingers brushed hers, intentional, gentle, lingering.
A touch that said everything he couldn't say out loud.
Within minutes, the house buzzed again, doors opening, zippers zipping, sunscreen arguments, laughter echoing down the hallway.
Eli poked his head into the kitchen.
"Guys! We're leaving in ten!"
The group gathered at the door, bags on their shoulders and jackets half-worn.
"Amelia," Nora said, looping an arm around her, "you're sticking with us today.
No thinking. Just fun."
Amelia laughed, A real one.
They stepped outside into bright sunlight,
And across the street, behind the tinted window of a parked car…
Zane watched.
Still.
Silent.
Eyes fixed on Amelia.
Unseen.
Uninvited.
Undeterred.
"Their favorite café smelled of vanilla, warm butter, and something that always felt like home."
As they stepped in, Nora called out,
"Our booth is free!"
The six of them squeezed into the corner booth, laughing, nudging, half-fighting over menus.
Kai held the menu dramatically.
"I'm ordering something experimental."
"No," Lena said. "Remember the beetroot latte incident?"
Everyone groaned.
Their orders arrived,
pancakes stacked high, a cinnamon bun dripping with icing, Kai's strange matcha-caramel croissant that made everyone stare.
"Eat that at your own risk," Harrison warned.
The table was filled with laughter, warm steam, clinking forks, and that perfect blend of chaos that felt like family.
But Harrison…
He wasn't loud.
He watched Amelia, quietly, gently, like she was the safest and most dangerous thing in the room.
The moment Kai cracked another ridiculous joke, Amelia opened her bag to hide her laugh, only for her sketchbook to tumble toward the edge of the table.
Harrison's hand shot out instinctively, catching it before it hit the floor.
His fingers brushed hers as he handed it back, and she gave a small, grateful smile.
"Thanks," she said, settling it back in her bag.
"No problem," he replied, voice calm, easy.
His eyes lingered on her for a second, just enough to make her pulse skip, but the moment stayed light, casual.
She leaned back in her chair, taking a sip of her drink, and Harrison mirrored her posture.
For a quiet moment, they sat side by side, watching the café buzz around them.
Kai and Nora were arguing over what dessert to get, their voices rising and falling in comic waves, but Amelia and Harrison just shared a small, knowing smile, letting the little interaction pass without fuss.
"Careful next time," he teased gently, nodding toward her bag.
Amelia chuckled. "I'll try."
They stepped back into the afternoon sunshine together.
Kai was already cracking jokes.
Nora was filming everything.
"Eli and Lena, still laughing loudly."
But Amelia…
"She walked beside Harrison, their steps almost matching, comfortable and easy."
The sunlight spilled over the street, golden and bright, and for a moment, the world felt wide and safe.
After about 15 minutes of walking, turning down a quiet cobbled street, the group finally arrived at the pottery studio.
Its large windows reflected the afternoon sun, and the faint scent of clay and water drifted out each time the door opened.
Kai practically bounced to the entrance, trying to peek inside before anyone else.
Lena nudged him back with a laugh.
"Patience, genius. Let's not scare the studio into thinking we're lunatics."
"Whoa," Kai said dramatically, spinning in a circle. "This is so my creative element. I feel like a pottery god already."
Lena rolled her eyes but smiled. "God or disaster, same difference with you."
Amelia and Harrison found a quieter corner of the studio, near a row of tables with prepped clay slabs.
Harrison pulled out a chair for her, an almost imperceptible protective gesture that made her chest flutter.
"You ready to get your hands dirty?" he asked, his voice low, teasing just enough to make her grin.
"Always," she replied, picking up a lump of clay and letting her fingers sink into the cool, malleable surface.
They spread out, each choosing a workstation.
Kai's first attempt at a bowl immediately collapsed.
"This is discrimination!" he exclaimed. "Against my obvious talent!"
"Or lack thereof," Lena quipped, stifling a laugh as she shaped a vase with careful precision.
Nora concentrated on a small cup, while Eli experimented with a tall, wonky mug.
Amelia focused on a simple bowl, letting her mind quiet, feeling Harrison's calm presence nearby.
He was making a modest cup, hands steady, glancing at her occasionally, sharing that subtle, easy silence that only they seemed to notice.
Minutes passed, filled with the soft scrape of fingers on clay and quiet bursts of laughter when Kai's "masterpiece" collapsed again.
Amelia laughed softly, and Harrison's eyes followed the curve of her smile, lingering just a second too long.
Later, the studio assistant suggested something playful: "Write something meaningful on the bottom of your piece."
The group leaned over their work.
Lena wrote: Laugh now, remember forever.
Kai wrote: Try again.
Nora wrote: Hold on to the people who choose you.
Eli paused for a moment, then carved: I'm trying.
Amelia hesitated, then wrote quietly: Still learning to be brave.
Harrison looked down at his own cup, fingers brushing over the clay before he inscribed: Here, now, steady.
He glanced at Amelia's piece, a slow, subtle smile tugging at his lips.
Amelia caught it, her chest warming, a quiet connection passing between them without words.
"That… sounds like you," he murmured, his tone gentle, more intimate than anyone else could hear.
Amelia met his eyes, a small, knowing smile before looking back at her bowl.
By the time their clay pieces were set to dry, soft teasing still bubbled through the room.
The pottery studio echoed with laughter as the group finished cleaning their workstations.
Kai spun around with his clay-covered hands, grinning wildly.
"Who knew shaping mud could feel like winning a medal?" he shouted, twirling a bit too close to the door.
Lena slapped him lightly on the arm, still giggling.
"You just make a mess wherever you go, Kai. Don't act like an artist now."
The studio assistant turned on some soft background music as they tidied up.
A familiar upbeat song floated through the air, and without thinking, Kai started a silly little dance in the middle of the floor.
"Hey! Who taught you those moves?" Amelia laughed, hopping in next to him and spinning dramatically.
Nora and Lena exchanged a glance, then shrugged, letting themselves get pulled into the playful chaos.
Soon, everyone was moving in their own goofy ways: Harrison surprisingly doing a stiff but determined shuffle, Eli flailing his arms like a windmill, Amelia giggling as she tried to mimic Kai's over-the-top spins, and Lena laughing so hard she nearly knocked over her clay cup.
The music carried them, and for a few magical minutes, it wasn't about skill, stress, or the world outside.
It was about laughter echoing off the walls, about arms flailing, shoes sliding, and the pure joy of moving with friends.
Kai tried a dramatic "moonwalk," which ended in a small trip, landing him safely on his knees with a triumphant grin.
"I meant to do that!" he declared, earning another round of laughter from the group.
Even Harrison cracked a small smile, shaking his head at the chaos around him, while Amelia clapped along, her laughter mixing with everyone else's.
By the time the song ended, they were out of breath, cheeks flushed, and hair slightly mussed, but the energy lingered.
The studio had turned from a quiet creative space into a tiny stage for their friendship, full of movement, laughter, and light-hearted mess.
"Next time," Lena said, still catching her breath, "we start a flash mob. Seriously."
"Agreed," Kai added, pointing dramatically to each of them. "The world isn't ready for this level of talent."
Amelia rolled her eyes, smiling. "We'll see about that."
They spilled out of the pottery studio, cheeks flushed and laughter still echoing in the narrow street outside.
The warm afternoon sun bathed the city in gold, and the buzz of people and distant traffic made the world feel alive and wide open.
"Okay, next stop," Kai announced, swinging an imaginary baton like a tour guide.
"Level Up Arcade! I expect epic victories and zero mercy."
Lena rolled her eyes, tugging him along. "Epic victories for you only.
The rest of us want to survive your trash talk."
Amelia laughed softly, letting the noise of her friends fill the space around her.
Nora adjusted her tote, scanning the path ahead, "I swear if Kai loses at air hockey again, I'm filming it."
Eli raised an eyebrow, smirking. "And I'll be the one laughing the loudest."
The walk was light, easy, filled with the kind of chatter that only years of friendship can create.
They joked about their pottery disasters, reenacted each other's "dance moves," and laughed until their stomachs hurt.
When they arrived, the neon lights of the arcade glimmered like a promise.
The sounds of electronic games, cheering players, and flashing lights welcomed them like an invitation.
Kai bolted ahead to the air hockey tables, already calling out his challenge. "Who dares face the master?!"
Lena followed, teasing, "Master of humiliation, you mean!"
They explored the games in a mix of friendly competition and playful chaos: Lena winning a claw machine teddy bear on her third try, Kai dramatically failing at basketball hoops, and Nora collecting tickets like a pro while teasing Eli about his slow pace.
Amelia tried skee-ball, laughing as Harrison's attempts next to her were… not great, but endearingly persistent.
The arcade became a playground for all their energy, a space where laughter ruled, and nothing serious could intrude.
They raced, cheered, and challenged one another, the clatter of tokens and the beeps of games mixing with their joy.
By the time they gathered around a table stacked with snacks and drinks, the arcade noise hummed behind them like a warm soundtrack to the day.
Amelia leaned back, sipping her soda, eyes bright from laughter and movement.
Harrison nudged her lightly with his shoulder, sharing a quiet smile.
Kai raised his soda, grinning, "To surviving the day without breaking anything, or anyone!"
Lena clinked her cup against his. "To friendships that don't let us take ourselves too seriously."
Nora added softly, "To choosing to have fun, no matter what."
Amelia's gaze flicked to Harrison, their hands brushing again briefly.
He caught her look, eyes holding hers just long enough to make her heart skip, then glanced away with a small, playful shrug.
"Okay, one last game before we leave?" Kai asked, already halfway to the next machine.
"Fine," Lena laughed, tossing a coin in. "But you owe me a rematch if you lose."