Entwined by chance

hia'

sky had darkened into a deep shade of indigo, scattered with stars blinking faintly like secrets waiting to be told. Arnaut stood beside me,

rmured, keeping my gaze on the hori

ghtly around the edge of

eight, a contrast to the storm I im

of his face, the sharp angles softened only

dable crossed his features b

s all h

tion, no e

that, but I wasn't most people. "W

moment before he let out a

me, understanding who he was-or

fore answering

me, dark and intense. "T

not from the cold but fro

een us again, but this

ce. I tucked them behind my ear and shifted my stance. "You know, for some

he amusement never reached his ey

d. "Someo

he way he seemed to do with everything else, but instead, he

ds hinted at a complexity

d softly. "Sometimes they aren't

ng like recognition. "You sound

ng absent patterns against

't demand more than I

s what made h

wn below reached us, a reminder that the

lnerability slipping away. "You shoul

in his words did

more before nodding. "

watched as I turned and mad

ze lingered long afte

ut's

s, carrying the scent of salt and

s without even realizing it, her curios

bothered to ask

ple didn

she

d have mad

ve made me p

mory of her voice, the way she had looked a

d down the worn path back into town. The streets were quieter now, the gl

bar, his arms crossed and hi

, nodding toward the clock

't realize I wa

ever stay out this long unless som

to the dimly lit bar. The scent of whiskey and

rom behind the counter before sli

ou thinking,

n't r

ugh of an an

widening. "Told you she wa

led uncomforta

f escape, a temporary pause in whatever life she

They ended up here when they had nowhere else to

hia'

nge way of making t

t rhythm-morning walks along the shoreline, afternoons spent wandering through town, and ev

naut always see

nally. Not a

pres

d the pattern forming between us, yet

ng was no

the air as I stirred my coffee absently. The chatter of

open, the bell

gaze flickering across th

lf a second before

om me, he rested his forearms o

aid it wasn'

head. "Dis

itched slig

that made warmth

efore setting it down. "You act

moment before answer

t most

ed just slightly, almost imp

ing to rea

ce, separate from the world. I had come to Clearwater Bay searching for something I c