The Weight of Silence

Nolan’s POV

I got to Rosie’s at three-thirty.

Couldn’t help it. I needed to be early. Needed to sit, wait, and think.

Wait some more.

It wasn’t crowded. Soft music. Warm light. Smelled like pastries and coffee beans. Just enough noise to keep my nerves from choking me.

I picked a corner table. Back to the wall. A clear view of the door.

Ordered water. Tapped my fingers against the glass. Checked m