Clara Bennett
“I don’t want this night to end yet,” Ryder said quietly as the car pulled away from the gala. His arm was still around my shoulders, holding me close in the back seat. The city lights flashed across his face, highlighting the sharp line of his jaw and the way his eyes kept flicking toward me with concern.
I leaned my head against him, exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster of the evening. “Me neither. But I’m really tired, Ryder. Today has been… a lot.”
He nodded and told the driver to head toward my old apartment first, but I quickly corrected him. “Actually, can we go to the new place? I want to see it.” The keys he had given me felt heavy in my clutch, like a promise I wasn’t sure I deserved.
Ryder smiled softly and gave the driver the new address. During the ride
