What He Never Let Go Of
Elena watched the water appear and disappear between the headlands, black and glittering under a rising half-moon, and let herself, for once, not fill the silence with a question.
"You're quiet," Adrian said eventually, glancing over.
"I'm enjoying not knowing where we're going." She tipped her head back against the seat. "It's strange. I spend most of my life knowing exactly what's coming next, down to the euro. This is nice. Being surprised."
Something moved across his face at that — she couldn't quite name it, gratitude maybe, or relief that the gesture had landed the way he'd hoped.
"Good," he said simply, and reached over without looking, offering his hand palm-up on the console between