The breeze was chilly, rustling the hem of Jane's coat as she stepped out of the university gates. It was past eight.
The sky had long faded into a blanket of indigo, with city lights winking like distant stars. Her steps were quick but not hurried—tired, perhaps, yet steady.
The road ahead was quiet. Her hand gripped the strap of her bag a little tighter. Mia had texted she'd be late. Jane hadn't wanted to wait.
She crossed the road.
A car pulled up.
She paused, heart skipping for a split second before the window rolled down.
"Sophia?"
Sophia's gaze met hers from the driver's seat, brows slightly furrowed beneath soft waves of dark hair. Her coat, white and perfectly fitted, sat around her shoulders like second skin. "What are you doing out at this hour again?"
Jane blinked. "I'm just heading home."
Sophia leaned one elbow against the window, eyes narrowing slightly. "You always go out this late?"
Jane offered a small, sheepish smile. "Not always."
"You said that last time too." Sophia's voice was low but firm. There was no edge to it—just a strange blend of concern and annoyance.
"It's not safe. You shouldn't be walking around alone at night."
"I'm used to it," Jane said softly, shifting from one foot to the other.
"That doesn't make it right." Sophia's gaze didn't waver. "It's dangerous. Especially for someone like you."
"Someone like me?" Jane echoed.
Sophia looked away for half a second, as if catching herself. "A young woman. Small. Clearly not used to handling trouble."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Jane let out a small, unexpected laugh. "You sound like my grandmother."
Sophia rolled her eyes but there was a twitch at the corner of her lips. "She sounds like a woman with sense."
"I'm fine, really," Jane said, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
Sophia exhaled, then reached over and unlocked the passenger side door. "Get in."
Jane blinked. "What?"
"I'll drop you off."
"No, it's really—"
"I'm not asking."
Her tone was flat, doctor-like, unwavering.
Jane stood frozen for a second. Her fingers fidgeted with the strap of her bag. No one ever insisted like that. And no one ever worried like that, either.
She walked around slowly and slipped into the car, the soft scent of lavender and leather wrapping around her instantly.
Sophia didn't say anything at first. She adjusted the heat, then pulled smoothly back onto the road.
Jane glanced at her from the corner of her eye.
Sophia drove with ease, one hand on the wheel, the other resting lightly on the gearshift. Focused. Composed. As if she always knew what to do, where to go.
Jane didn't.
And for some reason… that steadiness fluttered in her chest.
"Thanks," she murmured.
Sophia didn't look at her, but her voice softened. "Just don't make it a habit."
The car hummed quietly beneath them, headlights slicing through the sleepy haze of the evening.
Jane sat with her fingers folded on her lap, her gaze flicking from the dashboard to the streetlights streaming past.
Sophia glanced sideways. "You always this quiet?"
Jane looked over, caught off guard. "Only when I'm in a car with someone I barely know."
That made Sophia smirk, just a little. "I'm not that scary, am I?"
Jane arched a brow. "A little. You did kind of interrogate me back there."
"I did not."
"You did," Jane insisted, her lips curling. "You were practically lecturing me about night walks like I'm some reckless teenager."
Sophia chuckled, the sound low and brief, like it snuck past her defenses. "You're dramatic."
Jane smiled, then turned her gaze to the window again. Her reflection looked soft in the glass, blurred by the city lights dancing along the street.
Sophia shifted in her seat, her eyes lingering on Jane a second longer than necessary before returning to the road.
There was something oddly grounding about her presence—calm, unbothered, honest in a way that didn't demand attention but still held it.
"Rough day?" Jane asked gently, the words slipping out like a whisper.
Sophia hesitated. "Long one."
Jane nodded. "You look like someone who works too much."
"I do," Sophia admitted, lips twitching. "But I like it."
"You must be good at it."
Sophia didn't reply right away. The compliment hung in the air, warm and unexpected.
She glanced at Jane again, her voice quiet this time. "I don't usually pick people up off the street."
Jane laughed under her breath. "I figured."
Sophia smiled. The tension in her shoulders eased without her realizing.
For a moment, the awkward dinner, the pressure of her stepmother's schemes—it all faded.
Her mind, usually so packed with patient files and diagnoses and dinner dates she didn't want to attend, felt... still.
"You talk differently," Sophia said suddenly.
Jane tilted her head. "Differently?"
Sophia nodded. "It's... unfiltered. You say exactly what's on your mind. It's oddly refreshing."
"Sorry if that's a bad thing."
"It's not," Sophia said, barely above a whisper.
Jane blinked. "Didn't think someone like you would call me refreshing."
Sophia didn't respond. She just kept driving, lips curving faintly—not into a full smile, but something close, something warmer.
They rode in silence for a moment longer, the kind of silence that wasn't uncomfortable, just... there. Full of unspoken things.
As the car slowed to a stop near Jane's dorm, she glanced at Sophia again. "Thanks for the ride."
Sophia's fingers lingered on the steering wheel. "Anytime."
Jane opened the door but hesitated. "And... thanks for worrying. I think."
Sophia met her eyes, gaze steady. "Just don't give me a reason to again."
Jane stepped out, wind catching the edges of her coat. "No promises, doctor."
The door shut with a gentle thud, and Sophia watched her walk toward the building—small steps, but unafraid.
Sophia didn't drive off right away.
She just sat there for a moment.
And smiled.
The hallway lights buzzed faintly as Jane stepped into the building, the warmth of the ride still lingering on her skin. She tugged off her scarf, trying not to smile too much as she climbed the stairs two at a time.
As soon as she opened the door to their shared room, Mia spun around from her desk, eyes wide.
"You took your time—" she paused, narrowing her eyes. "Wait... was that her again?"
Jane didn't answer right away. She kicked off her shoes, placing them neatly by the door.
Mia gasped, "It was, wasn't it? Doctor fancy car drove you home again?!"
Jane gave her a sideways look. "Please don't call her that."
"Oh come on, what else am I supposed to call her?" Mia said, hopping up from her chair and blocking Jane's path dramatically.
"i don't know her name, she drives a car that probably costs more than our entire building, and she keeps popping up like a mysterious drama heroine."
Jane rolled her eyes, but the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her.
Mia pointed at her face. "That—that smile. You like her."
"I do not like her," Jane said quickly, brushing past her.
"Oh please," Mia sang, following her to the small kitchenette. "You've got that look in your eyes like someone just handed you flowers and paid your rent."
"She just gave me a ride. That's all."
"And what did you talk about during this oh-so-innocent car ride?"
Jane reached for a cup. "She scolded me. Again."
Mia snorted. "Hot."
"Mia."
"I mean... a beautiful woman in a designer coat, all serious and broody, telling you to take better care of yourself?" She fanned herself. "That's literally fanfiction material."
Jane poured some water, trying to suppress her laughter. "You're not helping."
Mia grinned, leaning on the counter. "Okay, okay. I'll behave. But you gotta admit, it's kind of cool."
Jane softened. "It's weird, honestly. She's... not what I expected."
"Good weird?"
Jane nodded slowly, sipping her water. "Yeah. Good weird."
Mia smirked. "So, Doctor Fancy Car has a soft spot for reckless cafe girls."
"Stop calling her that," Jane groaned, heading for her bed.
But you always call her that, Mia said.
But even as she pulled the covers over herself, Mia still giggling in the background, Jane couldn't stop her lips from curling at the edges.
She didn't know why exactly—but Sophia's voice, that steady gaze, and the way her words lingered long after she was gone... all of it was starting to settle somewhere beneath her skin.