Jake did not drive home immediately. That much was deliberate.
By the time he left the dealership, the late-afternoon sun had softened into early evening gold, stretching long shadows across the city. Traffic moved steadily without becoming aggressive, the sort of hour when people were either heading home from work or making their way to places they did not particularly want to be.
Jake chose neither. He just drove.
Not fast, and not without purpose. He simply kept moving, giving himself time to settle into the reality of what he had just done.
The Audi handled smoothly beneath him, quiet where it needed to be and responsive when asked for more. Every turn felt controlled. Every acceleration felt measured. The car did not beg for attention, and that was part of why he liked it. It simply did what it was supposed to do, and it did it well.
