But for the first time since they'd met, he saw past Cassandra's nervous chatter and awkward attempts at conversation.
Underneath it all was fear. Not the sharp panic of immediate danger. The quieter kind. The kind that stayed with someone long after they had survived.
The silence stretched between them, broken only by the steady crackle of the fire.
Outside, the last traces of daylight disappeared beyond the broken buildings. Darkness settled over the abandoned road, leaving only the warm glow of the flames to fill the small shelter.
Cassandra kept her eyes on the fire. "I ran."
The words came quietly, almost as though she were speaking to herself instead of him.
"I think that's the part I remember most. I wasn't thinking. I wasn't making a plan. I just… ran." She drew in a slow breath and rested a hand over her stomach.
