242
~Noah's POV
I sat quietly in the backseat of the car, my fingers absently running over the ridges of my palm. It still felt surreal, being out. Not behind bars. Not under harsh lights. The window was down halfway, and the wind brushed against my face, warm and familiar in a way I hadn't felt in a decade.
Ten years.
I kept glancing out the window like a kid seeing the world for the first time. Buildings were taller, glassier. People walked with phones glued to their hands, dressed in ways that didn't even exist when I was last free. The city buzzed, louder, sharper, faster. My eyes darted everywhere, trying to drink it all in, but it was overwhelming.
"Everything's different," I muttered, not even meaning to say it out loud.
Bella turned to me, her soft voice grounding me. "I know. It's a lot."
I nodded, then blinked as a face flashed in my mind. "Mia…"
