Chapter 243

SIENNA

I got back into the car and sat longer than I meant to.

The engine idled. Dashboard lights glowed softly, indifferent. My hands rested on the wheel, fingers curled, knuckles pale. For a moment, I let myself feel the imprint of Brooks’s arms—the echo of being held without expectation, without strategy.

Then I inhaled.

And let it go.

The drive away from the docks was quieter than the