[EMY]
The table of AUREA quieted down after that. Their laughter faded into murmurs.
Angel slowly relaxed again, pushing her plate aside. "Maybe we should just go," she said softly.
I nodded. "Yeah. Let's not waste more time here. There's a world out there that doesn't know who we are yet."
We paid the bill, left a generous tip out of pure rage, and stepped back into the salty air. The ocean breeze felt colder now, sharper.
Angel sighed. "I really looked up to him, you know?"
"I know," I said, looping my arm through hers. "But one day, he's going to look up to you."
She gave me a small, teary smile. "You really believe that?"
"With all my caffeine-fueled heart," I said.
We started walking back toward the car, the waves crashing against the shore, the sky darkening to violet.
Behind us, through the restaurant's glass window, I saw Ren watching again.
He wasn't smiling this time. Just watching, quiet and thoughtful.
