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Alex exhales sharply and pulls into the lot.
He kills the engine, then turns to me. “I’m gonna grab some food. You should eat something.”
I nod stiffly, but I don’t move.
His eyes flicker over me, and for a moment, something almost like concern crosses his face. Then, without another word, he climbs out and walks toward the station’s convenience store, his shoulders hunched against the cold.
I exhale shakily, staring out the fogged-up window.
The night is quiet. The lot is nearly empty, except for a single black sedan parked near the back, its windows tinted too dark to see inside.
A chill runs down my spine, but I force myself to look away.
I have bigger problems.
My bladder twists painfully, the urgency coming out of nowhere.
Great.
With a grimace, I push the door open and step outside.
I tug my sweater tighter around me and make my way toward the restroom sign near the side of the station. The bathroom is gross—yellowing lights, a flickering bulb, graffiti-covered walls—but it’s empty, and right now, that’s all I care about.
I do my business quickly, my heart hammering in my chest the entire time.
I pause, gripping the rusted handle of the door.
Then I hear it.
Alex’s voice. “What the fuck do you want?”
And another voice which I don’t recognize. “…figured I’d finally see you in person.”
The voice is smooth, amused.
Then Alex’s voice, low and even. “What do you want?”
A chuckle. “Relax. Just making conversation.”
I peek carefully around the corner.
Alex is standing near the gas pumps, hands in his pockets, but he looks tense. He’s facing a man I recognize—tall, lean, dressed in a dark jacket and jeans. Ryan.
I hold my breath.
Ryan tilts his head. “Gotta say, I thought you’d be harder to track down.”
Alex exhales sharply. “Not trying to hide.”
Ryan smirks. “No? Is that why you left town?”
I see it—the flicker of irritation that crosses Alex’s face before he schools his expression again. “I don’t owe you a damn thing,” he says.
Ryan hums, unconvinced. “That’s the thing, though. People like us? We don’t just get to walk away.”
Alex doesn’t answer right away.
His jaw tightens. “I’m not part of anything anymore.”