The night air was cool when Ava stepped out of her uncle's house, the soft crunch of gravel under her heels grounding her. Steve was waiting by the black SUV, ever solid, ever silent. He opened the door without a word, and Ava slipped inside, the weight of her uncle's warning still pressing against her chest.
The ride back was quiet, the city lights flashing across the tinted glass like fleeting thoughts. Steve's presence was steady, almost fatherly, but he didn't push her into talking. That was one of the things she had always appreciated—he knew when silence was safer than words.
When they reached the familiar streets near campus, Steve slowed the car and pulled over at a safe distance. Through the windshield, Ava spotted a group of girls walking up the sidewalk, laughter spilling into the night air. Her chest tightened. Mia. Clara. Lena.
Her world. The one that didn't belong to the shadows.
Steve cleared his throat softly. "This is as close as I go. Safer that way. From here, you blend in." He turned his gaze on her, his dark eyes serious. "Be careful, Ava. Your uncle's right. Keep your head down, trust your instincts. You're sharper than most—don't forget that."
Ava managed a small smile. "Thank you, Steve. For everything."
"Always," he said, the word weighted with loyalty. Then, as she placed her hand on the door handle, his voice lowered. "And Ava—if anything ever feels wrong, you call me first. Understood?"
She nodded. "Understood."
Slipping out of the SUV, she straightened her coat, the night breeze carrying faint echoes of her friends' laughter. The SUV's engine hummed softly behind her as Steve waited, watching until she was safe.
Ava walked down the sidewalk, her steps quiet against the pavement. Ahead, Mia glanced over her shoulder and her face lit up.
"Ava!" she called, waving. Clara and Lena turned too, smiles blooming when they saw her approaching.
None of them noticed the black SUV easing back into the shadows, slipping away as silently as it had arrived.
For a moment, Ava let herself breathe. She was back in the light—or at least pretending to be.
But the weight of her uncle's warning lingered, a reminder that danger could reach her even here, beneath the safety of streetlamps and laughter.