The drive back from the restaurant was quiet.
Ethan kept his eyes on the road, and Alex stared out the window, his mind still replaying every moment from dinner. Mia's laugh. The way she'd smiled at Daniel. The casual intimacy of their hands touching across the table.
He'd told himself he was fine. That it didn't matter.
But the tightness in his chest suggested otherwise.
"You want me to drop you at the estate?" Ethan asked, breaking the silence.
"Yeah," Alex said. Then, after a pause, "Thanks. For tonight. For putting up with my bullshit."
Ethan glanced at him. "That's what friends are for."
They pulled through the gates of the estate, the long driveway stretching ahead of them in the darkness. The house was lit up, warm light spilling from the windows.
But as they got closer, Alex noticed another car parked near the entrance.
His father's car.
"That's weird," Alex muttered.
"Your dad's here?" Ethan frowned.
"Looks like it."
