I grab the keys and head for the car. He follows, a step behind this time, quieter now, like he’s still catching up with what just happened.
I open the passenger door for him.
He pauses for half a second, like he’s registering that, then gets in without comment.
I walk around to the driver’s side and slide in, the space suddenly smaller, contained again in a different way.
The engine turns over, low and steady.
Neither of us speaks.
I pull the car forward slowly, guiding it out of the garage. The headlights cut across the dark, catching briefly on metal shutters and concrete before we roll out into the open.
I stop just outside, leave the engine running, and get out to pull the door down.
The metal rattles as it shuts, louder than it should be in the quiet.
When I get back in, he’s watching me.
Not subtly.
Just… watching.
“What,” I say.
He shakes his head slightly. “Nothing.”
I don’t believe that for a second.
I pull away from the kerb, the garage disappearing behind us as we turn onto the road.
The silence settles again.
“I kissed you,” he says after a moment.
“Yeah.”
“You didn’t hesitate.”
I glance at him briefly. “Did you want me to?”
“No,” he says quickly. Then, quieter, “No.”
He leans back, dragging a hand over his face.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” he suddenly exclaims.
I glance over. “What?”
He sits up, turning towards me, expression tightening.
“I forgot Heath.”
I frown. “Who’s Heath.”
“My hamster.”
I blink.
