Chapter 76: Midnight confessions.

Evelyn POV

The river was quiet tonight.

The water flowed slowly, catching bits of light from the lamps behind us. Vincent had parked his car close to the edge, and we sat on the hood of his car, allowing the cool air to brush softly against my skin, calming the tightness that had lived in my chest all day.

We ate in silence.

The only sounds were the soft rustling of containers, the occasional splash from the river, and the gentle chirping of night insects.

The noodles were warm, filling, and comforting. I focused on chewing, on breathing, on not thinking too much. Vincent didn’t rush the moment. He didn’t try to fill the silence with words that weren’t needed.

For that alone, I was grateful.

When we were done, he folded the empty containers neatly and placed them back into the bag. He wiped his hands with a napkin, then leaned back, staring at the river.

"Thank you," he said, suddenly breaking the silence. His eyes were fixed on the river.

I turned to look at him. “For dinner?”

He smi