I lean back in my chair, letting her words sink in. “Then I vote we make this a custom. After every crazy thing we survive, we sit down, have a drink, and talk about the next crazy adventure we want to take. Deal?”

Selene laughs, the sound light and genuine, and it feels like a balm on everything that’s been weighing me down. “Deal,” she agrees.

“But you have to make me a promise.”

“That depends, what do you want?”

“No water in mugs during this custom. It gives me the heebie jeebies.”

Selene barks out a laugh but before she can say anything, the sound of the back door creaking open draws both of our attention.

Orion steps out, his expression serious, but not cold. He’s always got this way about him like he’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, but he’s determined not to let it break him.

“Sorry to interrupt,” he says, glancing between the two of us. “But the rest of the team is here. We need to do a final run-through for tomorrow. Make sure we’ve got everything covered.”

Selene straightens in her seat, her calm slipping away as the reality of what’s coming crashes back down. I feel it, too—the shift in the air, the weight of what tomorrow means.

“Got it,” I say, pushing myself to my feet. “We’ll be right in.”

Orion nods, stepping back inside and leaving the two of us alone again.

Selene stands as well, cradling the now-empty mug in her hands. She looks at me, her expression unreadable, but her eyes… Her eyes are steady, clear, like she’s bracing herself for whatever comes next.

“You ready for this?” I ask, my voice quieter now.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she replies, her tone matching mine.

I reach out, resting a hand lightly on her arm. “Whatever happens tomorrow…we’ve got each other’s backs. Yeah?”

She nods, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Yeah.”

And with that, we head inside, leaving the quiet of the porch behind.

Because tomorrow, everything changes.

29

Theo

The engine hums beneath us as the truck rolls down the quiet morning streets, a calm that feels too fragile to last. It’s a stillness that tricks you into thinking everything’s fine—until it isn’t. The dull, overcast gray sky makes it impossible to tell what time it is, like even the universe is holding its breath, waiting for the inevitable storm.