The road stretched ahead, endless and quiet beneath the moonlight. Zara gripped the steering wheel, her thoughts tangled between the weight of her father's past and the presence of the man sitting beside her.
Rev had barely spoken since they left Elias' place. He sat there, one arm resting against the door, his gaze fixed outside, watching the world blur past them. Noor sat in the back, checking the encrypted device Elias had given them, but the silence between Zara and Rev was something else entirely.
A tension neither of them wanted to address.
"So, where are we going?" Noor finally asked, breaking the quiet.
Rev exhaled. "Safehouse. West End."
Zara frowned. "Since when do you have a safehouse?"
His lips curved slightly. "Since I learned not to trust anyone."
His voice was casual, but Zara knew better. She turned her head just enough to look at him, but he kept his gaze forward.
"You trusted me once," she murmured.
A muscle in his jaw tightened. "Things change."
Zara's fingers tightened on the wheel. The unspoken history between them felt heavier than anything Elias had told them. She wanted to say something—to ask him why he left, why he had disappeared from her life when she needed him most. But she knew this wasn't the time.
Or maybe, she was afraid of his answer.
The city lights faded as they entered the outskirts, the streets quieter, the buildings older. The safehouse was an old garage tucked between abandoned structures, its faded sign barely visible under the flickering streetlamp.
Rev hopped out first, checking their surroundings with the ease of someone who had done this a thousand times. Zara watched him, the way he moved, the way his shoulders tensed like he was ready for a fight at any moment.
The boy she once knew had been reckless, full of life. This man—he was careful. Calculated. A shadow of what he used to be.
Noor pushed open the back door and stretched. "Alright, I'm going to get some air before we get into whatever mess this is." She gave Zara a knowing glance before walking off down the street.
Leaving them alone.
Zara leaned against the car, watching as Rev unlocked the heavy metal door and gestured for her to follow. She stepped inside, the scent of oil and rust filling the space. There were tools, car parts scattered across the workbenches, a cot shoved into the corner.
"You live here?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Rev smirked. "It's temporary."
Zara walked around, tracing her fingers over the dusty workbench. The memories hit her all at once—late nights at the old garage where she and Rev used to sneak off, stealing moments between the races, between the chaos.
"You still fix cars?" she asked.
"Yeah." He leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. "Some things don't change."
She turned to face him, the dim light casting sharp shadows across his face. There was something in his eyes—something unreadable.
"You did," she said quietly.
Rev let out a breath. "And so did you."
The words sat between them, heavy and unspoken.
Zara took a step closer, her heartbeat uneven. "Back there… when I saw you for the first time after all these years… why didn't you say anything?"
Rev hesitated, then looked down. "Because I knew you'd hate me."
She blinked. "Hate you?"
"For leaving. For not being there." His voice was rough, almost bitter. "I wanted to reach out, Zara. But by the time I could, it felt like too much time had passed. Like I had already lost you."
She searched his face, the sincerity in his words making her chest tighten.
"You didn't lose me," she whispered.
Rev's gaze snapped up to hers, something flickering behind his guarded expression.
For a second, just a second, she thought he might close the distance between them. That he might take that final step.
But then, his jaw clenched, and he looked away. "Get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."
The moment was gone.
Zara swallowed the ache that settled in her chest.
"Yeah," she said softly. "Good night, Rev."
He didn't respond right away. But as she turned toward the cot, she swore she heard him whisper, almost too quietly to catch—
"Good night, Zara."