CHAPTER 271
KATYA POV
"We're here," I said quietly.
Michael eased the car to a stop just before the old stone gate, the engine idling low, headlights cutting out before they could spill too much light onto the driveway. The house loomed beyond the iron bars—dark, quiet, deceptively peaceful.
Too peaceful.
I exhaled slowly, my shoulders loosening for the first time since we'd left the beach. "You can stop here."
He nodded and shifted the gear into park. The sudden silence felt loud. I cleared my throat, fingers tightening around the strap of my bag.
"Uh… thank you. For the ride. And for earlier." I hesitated, then added honestly, "For saving us. That was really… nice of you."
Nice felt like the weakest word in the English language, but it was all I had without opening something I wasn't ready to deal with.
Michael looked at me, expression unreadable in the dim light. "I'm glad you're okay." That was it. No pressure. No expectation.
Again!
