The street outside was almost empty when Rowen slid the shop's shutter halfway down. Evening had cooled the air, and the wind carried a faint scent of damp earth from a distant drizzle.
He had just finished locking the drawer of spare batteries when a soft knock came at the glass door.
Rowen paused.
Lira stood outside, her face calm but unreadable in the dim light.
He lifted the shutter just enough for her to step in. The bell chimed anyway, as if announcing her arrival to the empty street.
"I saw the lights on," she said softly. "I didn't want to leave without saying this."
Rowen didn't move from behind the counter. He waited.
She leaned lightly against the edge, fingers resting on the same spot they had before. For a moment, the shop was filled only with the hum of the ceiling fan and the muted thrum of distant traffic.
"I remembered something today," she began. "Back in school… you liked me, didn't you?"
Rowen's gaze didn't shift, but his stillness was its own kind of answer.
"I knew," she continued, a faint smile crossing her face. "I just never… thought much of it. I was already dating someone. There were always people trying to get close to me, and you… didn't."
Her fingers tapped the counter once, then went still.
"I didn't forget that."
The words settled between them, quiet and precise.
"I'm getting married soon," she said, voice even. "It's not… a fairy tale. We're good for each other, but that's all. And before that happens… I wanted this. Just a fling. Nothing more."
She met his eyes directly.
"I'm not here to ruin anything for you."
Rowen stayed silent. The world outside seemed to slow with his breathing.
He wasn't shocked. He wasn't even sure he was resisting.
The line had been drawn, and now it was spoken aloud.
Lira didn't wait for an answer. She straightened, smoothed the strap of her bag over her shoulder, and walked to the door.
"Think about it," she said quietly, and slipped into the night.
The bell chimed. Then only silence.
Rowen stood in the shop long after she left, surrounded by the tools and wires of his predictable life.
For the first time, the quiet felt like it was watching him.