The car was quiet—too quiet.
Carter sat beside her, small hands gripping the seat belt, eyes flickering between her and the man who had effortlessly inserted himself into their night.
Kian drove with ease, fingers loose on the steering wheel, exuding the same quiet confidence that had always followed him.
Chloe exhaled sharply, arms crossing, posture stiff.
She didn't want this.
She didn't want him here.
And yet—here they were.
Her lips pressed into a thin line before the words slipped out—sharper than she meant, fueled by frustration she couldn't quite place.
"Kian Ashford, when would you learn to listen and respect what I wanted?"
She regretted it the second it left her mouth.
Because she knew the answer.
Kian smirked, slow, deliberate, his gaze flickering toward her before returning to the road.
"I did, didn't I?"
Her chest tightened.
Because he had.
Six years ago, she told him to let her go.
And he did.
The weight of that settled between them—a moment neither of them spoke on, but both felt.
Chloe exhaled, rolling her eyes before turning toward the window, watching the city blur past.
Silence.
A lingering awkwardness she wanted to escape.
But Kian? He wouldn't let it sit.