Unspoken Rules

Hazel

The bus hums along the highway, the desert stretching out endlessly on either side. I’m still gripping my bag, nerves twisting in my stomach.

I glance toward the front. Monica, ever the chipper, has already settled into a seat beside Dorian, arranging his things like a personal valet. She beams at him when he glances up, and he nods once, almost absentmindedly, yet his lips twitch as if supp