RainThe car ride felt… weird.Not scary. Not tense like before a fight. Just awkward.Like when everyone has something to say but no one wants to say it first.Ryan decided he would, so maybe that's what made it more awkward. He was driving, focused on the road while Malcolm sat beside him, arms folded, staring ahead. And me? I was in the back seat, watching the darkness rush past the window and trying not to overthink everything.Which, obviously, I failed at.After a while, I couldn’t take the silence anymore.“I’m sorry.”My voice came out softer than I expected.Ryan didn’t turn, but I saw his eyes flick up in the mirror.“For what?”I hesitated.“For… everything. The training… not telling you - all of it.”There was a short pause, then Ryan smiled.Not his usual small, tight smile. This one was real.“You don’t need to apologize for getting stronger,” he said.I blinked.“I mean it,” he added. “If anything, you made me feel better tonight.”That surprised me.“Better?”“Yeah.”
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