The hum of the engine filled the silence between them, a low and steady sound that blurred with the occasional rush of passing cars and the distant honk of city life. Lily sat in the passenger seat of Daniel's car, arms wrapped around herself despite the warm press of the late morning sun through the windshield. Her gaze was distant, fixed on nothing and everything all at once—tracing the curve of the road but not really seeing it.
Daniel didn't speak. He gripped the wheel lightly, knuckles pale from restraint rather than tension. He let the silence breathe, only glancing at her in soft, unobtrusive ways. When she shivered, he quietly turned down the A/C. When she sighed, he rolled her window up just an inch, like he could protect her from the noise outside.
"He wants me to take the company," Lily said suddenly, her voice thin, almost uncertain if it deserved to be spoken aloud.
Daniel glanced at her, his eyes unreadable. "Yeah?"
