The night air wraps around us as we step out of the club, the ocean breeze immediately cooling the heat that's been clinging to my skin. My heels sink slightly into the sand as we walk along the edge of the beach, far enough from the crowd that the music becomes a muffled thump in the distance. The lights from the beach club flicker behind us, casting long shadows across the shore.
Theo says nothing. But that's kind of his thing. And maybe that's why I don't mind it. I don't mind him being in my surrounding when I try to get a peace because I know he'll never bother me and respect me.
The silence between us isn't awkward. It's heavy, sure—but in a comforting way. Like the world finally turned down its volume, just for us.
"You surprised me tonight," he says finally, voice low and even.
I glance up at him, the moonlight catching in his eyes. "How?"
"You never seem like someone who'd willingly walk into chaos."
"Trust me, I didn't. Julia's powers of persuasion are dark magic."
