Irvin's POV
I balanced my phone against my shoulder while cramming the final stack of documents into my briefcase.
"Things change as you left, man," Ryker's voice crackled through the speaker.
I made a noncommittal sound - more grunt than actual response.
My fingers worked the briefcase straps before I set it down. My movements were deliberate but unhurried, caught somewhere between calm and restless.
For the last ten minutes, Ryker had been rambling about Meridian's transformation over the years - the faces, the neighborhoods, the old hangouts we used to hit.
But I wondered if Meridian had really evolved... or if Ryker was just projecting.
"Cut the crap. Your life isn't the same since I left, not Meridian," I said with a snort, my voice carrying equal parts amusement and skepticism.
Ryker burst into laughter. "What? Are you serious? Irvin Jenkin, you were Meridian."
That stopped me cold.
The name...
my name - fell from Ryker's lips so naturally.
