I stop. “Sure,” I say.
His mouth curves like he’s pleased. “Make her the good one,” he says.
The barista laughs like it’s a joke between them.
My stomach twists again.
“You got it.” She nods and starts making it.
Soren pays before I can even reach for my wallet. Then he guides me to a table by the window, his hand resting lightly at my lower back.
Possessive or protective. Maybe both.
We sit.
The latte arrives, perfectly foamed, cinnamon dusted on top.
Soren watches me take the first sip like he’s watching a performance.
I try to smile.
I take a sip, the frothy and warm liquid instantly providing comfort I didn’t know I needed. “It’s good,” I say.
He nods. “I know,” he replies.
And I feel that familiar flicker again. That subtle, invisible thing. Like my enjoyment is secondary.
We don’t linger long. Soren is already moving again. With a wave to the barista, we head out into the craziness.
We walk through streets lined with boutiques and restaurants and live music spilling out of open doors. Deeper in the alley, something shatters. No one looks.
Then a little shop where he insists I try on a leather jacket—black, of course. It’s butter-soft with distressed detailing, obviously custom-made, and it fits me perfectly.
He doesn’t ask if I want it. He just buys it.
“Soren,” I protest, my laugh soft. “You don’t have to do that.”
He looks at me like I’m ridiculous. “Of course I do,” he says. “You’re with me.”
The words hit harder than they should.
You’re with me.
I put the jacket on, because refusing would feel ungrateful.
And because the truth is, I like it. I like being treated like I matter. Being spoiled just a little.
Even if it doesn’t feel entirely like mine.
By late afternoon, my feet ache. My brain feels overloaded.
Soren hasn’t stopped moving. We haven’t sat down for more than ten minutes at a time.
I stop walking. Not on purpose. My body just hesitates.
He doesn’t ask why. He just turns back, takes my hand again— firmer this time—and keeps going, like stopping wasn’t an option.
And I realize, suddenly, that I haven’t made a single decision all day.