Ebony and steel

ra

d the ache in my legs by closing time. New York still felt cold, but

lm

ong, a stranger's face that felt too familiar. But by the time I

is just full of people, I kept repeating

the café door jingled, and my che

was

, he didn't keep his distance. He walked straight to the counter w

rtbeat, wo

low, the faint accent curling around each s

st started. It's... nothin

me quietly. "Sometimes

café, then back at me. "Do y

aught. "Some

y. "New York can be... unpredictable at night,"

us smile. "I'm ca

d my brave words. Then he did something unexpecte

... call this number," he

rd. It was plain, embossed with only

rmured, my voice s

almost like a bow. "Hav

y name-it wasn't a

e added, without looking back, "sometimes it's wiser not to

the rain, and the do

g so loud I could barely hear

ows my

een wat

... he w

th shaking fingers. I should have felt fear-but wha

rors. Somewhere in the city, someone was still

olai

restless shadows. Nikolai watched droplets race each other down th

or's voice echoed from ear

She is. And that's why

for what should happen. An

rom a careful distance had only made the pull worse, not weaker. The moment he saw f

ep pretending s

en walk home

edged by the anger he felt at the idea of anyone tr

outside alive with sirens, neon, and secrets. Vik

the card," Vikt

" Nikola

if she

rning to silver threads under passi

oke it again, carefully. "Boss, you know what i

voice stayed level, but the weigh

or continued, softer now. "Your wor

ught again. That's w

ent he spoke to her, the

mind, he admitted a tru

o about seeing something pure and untouched by b

t had felt like standing on the edge of a clif

rters. Nikolai didn't move to get out immediately. Instead, he sat in the

barely audible, as if testi

mar

n, but strang

he part of him still

found her, he w

the fragile line that se

: my life had already changed, ev