Chapter 232

On the other side of the station, Megan followed Howard out to the curb. His car idled beneath a canopy of trees, where moonlight filtered through the leaves in slender beams, cooling the night air with its quiet shimmer. A breeze stirred the loose strands of hair she hadn't pinned back in her rush to leave. Howard glanced at her and couldn't help recalling how fragile she'd looked that night at Lunar Estate, shivering against the cold. He reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear, but she stepped back instantly, her eyes wary. "Your hair's messy," he muttered, frowning as a shadow passed over his face. When had she started looking at him like that? "I've got it," Megan said, smoothing her hair herself. They walked the rest of the way in silence, stopping beside the car. Howard opened the door and let her slide into the back seat first. Once inside, the quiet deepened. Outside, a streetlight cast a muted golden glow over the trees. The world felt suspended, hushed. Time