Alpha Nick
But Julia—Julia is hesitant.
I swallow hard and lift my hand, knocking twice before I can second-guess myself.
Silence.
For a moment, I think she won’t answer. That maybe she’s ignoring me, or worse—maybe she’s inside, regretting everything.
Then, the door creaks open.
Julia stands there, bathed in the dim glow of her porch light, her dark eyes meeting mine with something unreadable. She’s barefoot, her hair loose and messy, and the sight of her like this—soft, unguarded—hits me like a punch to the gut.