wall draped with abstract canvases, holding a glass of red wine she had barely touched. The room was warm with soft lighting and filled wi

interior layout, and the gallery owner had insisted she attend. Emily had shown up in a sleek navy jumpsuit and gold ho

t that odd shift in the air. A sudden awareness, like someo

himself to be remembered. He stood across the room, near a sculpture installation, his e

oked awa

ated

ed again, he was

, nodding toward the wall

. "You mean the a

mile. "But I was actually talking

d

ve a go

ke someone who goe

don't. But a friend dragged me

respond to that, so she

he said, offe

mi

t firm. Her pulse betrayed h

around strangers?" he

from across the room

n, this time w

nting, buying herself a mom

e of him. "It's chaotic. But I like that the chaos has structure

t him then.

man who didn't flinch under pressure. The kind who had

de her

ason?" she asked, cro

s for creative teams project management, visual

e. "Sounds like somethin

ore carefully. "Maybe I'll g

ry alr

th. "Just trying to find

nd the instinct to run. That was the thing about her life now

strangers I meet at ar

stranger," Jason sai

. The kind that hu

even herself. "One drink. Not

softened. "I

ed his number with a casual confidence that annoyed her

back to looking my

w. "I wasn't tryin

e," he said, and then he w

she was holding her br

pt circling back to Jason his voice, the way he held her gaze, that easy confidence. It w

d her more than s

lking toward her in a fitted black dress and heels she was definitely going to complain about later. "You've been s

think it's not both?"Renee's

His name's Jason. H

hot interesting or emotio

ot

d. "Girl, yo

smiled anyway. "I'm not in

you've done with a

ng in the air,

crowd was thinner, the lights dimmer. Her heels clicked softly against the polished

been fo

he phone call that

rusted. Someone Emily had thought might be the one. Of course, no one had known about them. It was brief, a q

ent

cef

he alw

d. One that made her question everything he

didn't do romantic surprises or charmi

l to

ind again, and she shook her h

catching up. "But if you

n decided if I

ng her shoulder. "You lik

gue. Because Re

fingers hovering over her phone. She'd saved Jason

Or too cold. Or like someone who sp

lly, sh

. The chaos with structur

change her mind. Her heart d

, the three d

a r

t every word. Looking

't reply

wn, turned off the lamp, and

wasn't going to s

d of jazz humming from her neighbor's apartment downstairs. Saturday mornings were usually he

on her nightstand lik

n Wa

her, like he saw more than what she offered on the surface, it lingered

stood by the window watching the quiet stir in the neighborhood joggers p

slightly... off center.

hone

it be forward if I as

e message. Smile

"Only slightly. D

came withi

asual. I promise no chaos

it. The kind of exhale that happens when your body

It was a crisp fall day, and the city buzzed with that Saturday ease dogs on leas

s, clean-cut but not trying too hard. When he saw her, he stood a s

ame,"

he replied, ta

ht menus, but they

ure you wou

ged. "I was

c, how both of them secretly preferred staying in to going out. He told her about starting his company after walking away from a lu

en she spoke.

... wasn

y through his coffee. "Something not on your w

question lingering in

hing surface-level. But for s

years," she said softly. "Not since...

slightly. "Do you wa

d, then pause

idn't push.

she asked.

reet for a moment before speaking. "I

off guard by the way

she asked

er. And I was too stubborn to

thing in her gut tightened. Something familiar. He

uldn'

uldn'

Atlanta was big. Lif

s

e parking lot. The sun was slipping lower

Jason said, hand

" Emily

see you

't want to but because she did. Too

nervous," she

alking and look

it could matter," she r

oftened. "Isn't

him like maybe, just maybe, the un

fied her more

ch with a blanket and her laptop open but forgotten. Her mind kept

not to text him, but to do

Walker Atlanta

nly a few

agement announcement from

er and Mor

ft her lungs

rg

si

the p

ndered in her ears. Her mouth felt dry. Her past wasn't behind her it had j

ed as she reached

e didn

idn't

he screen as the wor

n't hav

her mind like a war

everything f