Eiden walked back home, the cool breeze brushing against his face, but it wasn't enough to lower the heat burning through him. His body temperature wasn't rising from fever or the weather it was the sheer intensity of the cringed-ass line he had just delivered to Lyra. The words still echoed in his mind like a bad echo chamber with no escape. Why the hell did I say that?! His hands clenched into fists as his steps quickened, trying to outrun the secondhand embarrassment assaulting him from within.
As he reached his house, the warm light spilling from the windows gave him a bit of comfort. He stepped inside and was immediately greeted by a familiar voice. "Welcome back. You're just in time for dinner. Wash up," his mom, Dally Mores, said with her usual radiant smile. "Yeah, I'm back," Eiden mumbled, still half-lost in thought.
