“Most people don’t think that way.”
“I’m not most people.”
A ghost of a smile crosses his face.
The fairy lights sway in the breeze. The music from the party shifts again, a slow and sweet tune.
“I should go back,” Atlas says, standing up, “before someone sends a search party.”
I stand too.
“Thank you,” he says, and his voice is steadier now. “For deleting the recording. For not telling anyone. For just … being here and listening.”
“Of course.”
“Will you be here tomorrow? At the booth?”
“When there are events at the community center, we use the Airstream. We also take it out to festivals on the town square. Most days I’m at the library, but I can be wherever works for you.”
“I might come by. If that’s okay.”
“Of course it’s okay.”
He starts to walk away, then pauses and turns back.
“Kai?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad you were hiding in the booth. I’m glad you heard.” He swallows hard. “Because I think I needed someone to know.”
My stomach unknots. “I’m glad I was there too.”
He nods one final time, then turns and walks across the garden toward the pavilion. I watch him go, watch the way he straightens his shoulders as he gets closer to the light and the people.
I turn back toward the Airstream.
Tomorrow he might come back. Or he might not. He might re-record a message, or he might never mention it again.
That’s his choice. His story.
I try not to think about the way his dark hair fell into his eyes when he looked up at me. Try not to notice that while we spoke, I cataloged details—the slope of his shoulders, the nervous way he ran his thumb over his fingers, the warmth in his eyes when that rare smile broke through.
More than anything, this guy needs a friend. He’s vulnerable, and I’m here to facilitate stories, not to admire the way fairy lights caught the angles of his face.
But for now, I’ve done what I could. I listened. I protected. I showed up.
And sometimes, that’s enough.
Even if a small, unhelpful part of me hopes he comes back tomorrow.
3
ATLAS
The first mistakeI made was telling my best friend what happened last night.
The second one was telling him about Kai.
