Maya’s POVDownstairs in Mark’s living room, the atmosphere was much lighter than it had been all morning. Chloe was sitting on the edge of the couch, wiping a smudge of pizza sauce off her fingers with a napkin."I should probably head out," Chloe said, standing up and grabbing her jacket from the back of the sofa. "I promised I’d help out with dinner tonight. But Maya, you can come over and eat with us if you want.""Thanks, Chloe," I said, offering a small smile as I walked down the hall behind Mark. "I think I'll head back in a bit too."Chloe gave a quick wave to Mark and Tristan before heading out the front door. A few minutes later, after clearing away the empty pizza boxes, I grabbed my bag to leave.Tristan was standing on the front porch, leaning against the wooden railing. I stepped outside. "Hey, Tristan."He turned around, his face softening into a relaxed, easy smile. "Hey, Maya. Headed back?""Yeah," I said, stepping up beside him. I hesitated for a beat, picking at the
Last Updated : 2026-08-25 Read more