Berlin was… weird. Quiet in a scary way. Even the sirens sounded like they were whispering, like the city didn't want to bother anyone. I should've felt safe, but something about it made my stomach twist.
I was still on the couch when Lukas came back with a tray and two mugs. Coffee. Strong, black, smells like "I mean business" mixed with "I'm slightly dangerous." He set one in front of me.
"Thanks," I muttered, because what else do you say?
He leaned against the counter, arms crossed, looking out the window. "You've noticed."
"Noticed what?" I asked, already nervous.
"That things aren't simple. My life… it's not just fancy apartments and caffeine."
I froze. "Fancy apartments? Coffee? That's… life?"
He shrugged. "It's what it looks like from the outside. Don't get used to it. Or get too close."
My stomach dropped. "Too close to what? Danger?"
He finally looked at me, those grey eyes sharp but calm. "Maybe. Maybe not today. Maybe tomorrow. That's the thing about my life — you never know."
A phone buzzed somewhere in the kitchen. He glanced at it, then silenced it like it was nothing. My chest tightened. I wanted to ask who it was, but I didn't.
The air felt heavy, like I'd stepped into a movie where the main character makes bad decisions on purpose. And yeah… that was me.
"You've been quiet," he said, coming back to stand in front of me. "Thinking of running?"
"Uh… no. Just trying to figure out what the heck I got myself into," I said, tugging at my sweater like it could protect me from… whatever this was.
He smirked. Just a little one. "Good. 'Cause sometimes the only way out… is forward."
And I sat there, trying to decide if I was terrified or… curious. Maybe both. Either way, I was in now. No turning back.