Chapter 133

The night air greeted them with a soft breeze as they stepped out of the restaurant. The jazz faded behind them and was replaced by the distant hum of the city settling into itself. The fairy lights strung over the awning glowing lightly over the sidewalk, and the faint scent of roasted garlic and herbs still clung to the air.

Grace walked beside Keegan with slow and unhurried steps. She looked lighter... like something had been lifted off her shoulders. Meanwhile, Keegan stayed close with one hand tucked in his pocket and the other occasionally brushing near hers, as if wanting to hold it again but not willing to disturb the quiet spell she was under.

“That was...” Grace trailed off, searching for the word.

“Perfect?” Keegan offered, glancing at her with a smile that reached his eyes.

She laughed softly. “Yeah. Perfect.”

They walked in silence for a few more paces. Storefronts were closing up, windows dimming one by one. Somewhere nearby, a street musi