The café had begun to empty, the afternoon light softening through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the wooden floors. Jaxon tapped the side of his now-empty coffee cup, glancing at Hayley.
     "You wanna walk a bit?" he asked, trying to sound casual. "You know, get some fresh air. Might help the headache."
     Hayley raised a brow. "Are you suggesting I’m hungover?"
     "I’m suggesting you drank like you were trying to forget your name."
     She gave a quiet snort, rolling her eyes. "Fine. A walk might be nice."
     They stepped out into the street, the breeze a welcome coolness after the warmth of the café. It rustled through Hayley’s loose hair, and Jaxon glanced sideways at her as they walked in silence for a minute.
     "So," he said eventually, "do you always punch out your stress in gyms? Or was that just a special treat for me?"
     She gave a short laugh. "You’re still on about that?"
     "Kinda hard to forget someone threatening to kick my ass with zero hesitation."
     "You were asking for it," she countered. "Coming at me like some MMA poster boy."
     "I was being helpful."
     "You were being cocky."
     "I’m always cocky," he said with a smirk. "Part of my charm."
     Hayley glanced at him. "Debatable."
     They both smiled, and the tension between them shifted—still there, but softer now, pulsing under the surface like a quiet beat.
     They turned down a quieter side street, their footsteps echoing softly. The conversation settled for a moment, until Jaxon spoke again, his voice a little more careful this time.
     "You feeling okay? About everything? I mean… last night?"
     Hayley’s smile faltered, just slightly. She looked down at the sidewalk as they walked.
     "I don’t really remember much," she admitted. "Just flashes. I know I drank too much. I know Alysa left. I guess I just… I don’t usually let go like that."
     Jaxon nodded slowly. "You don’t have to explain."
     She glanced at him. "Don’t I?"
     He met her gaze. "No. You don’t owe me anything."
     A few more steps passed in silence.
     "Thank you," she said finally. "For making sure I got home. And… for not making it weird."
     Jaxon chuckled. "I was extremely close to making it weird."
     Her eyes narrowed. "What does that mean?"
     He gave her a mock-serious look. "It means you nearly fell asleep on my face."
     She groaned. "Oh my god."
     "I was trying to fix your blanket and you just—bam. Out. Inches from my nose. I was almost the human mattress."
     Hayley covered her face with her hands. "I hate everything."
     He laughed, and despite herself, so did she.
     They turned into a nearby park, the late summer trees swaying overhead, paths dappled with light. They slowed as they walked beneath the shade.
     Hayley glanced at him. "Why’d you stay?"
     He looked at her, eyebrows raised.
     "I mean… you could’ve dropped me at the door, said ‘good luck’ and peaced out."
     Jaxon shrugged, a little bashful. "Because I didn’t want to."
     She blinked. "That’s not an answer."
     "It is. Just not a complicated one."
     She was quiet a moment, digesting that. Then: "You’re a strange guy."
     Jaxon grinned. "You’re only figuring that out now?"
     "No," she said, lips twitching. "But it’s becoming more obvious."

They found a bench near the edge of the path and sat down. Birds chirped overhead. A kid on a scooter zipped past them.
     Hayley leaned back. "You’re not what I expected."
     Jaxon tilted his head. "And what exactly did you expect?"
     "I don’t know. Someone more… I don’t know. Less thoughtful. More flirt. Less follow-through."
     He snorted. "Ouch."
     She smiled. "That wasn’t meant as an insult."
     "I’ll take it as a challenge."
     "Of course you will."
     He turned slightly toward her, serious again. "Look, I know I joke a lot. But I’m not here to mess with you. I don’t have an agenda, Hayley."
     Her gaze dropped to her hands.
     "I don’t know what I’m doing," she said softly. "With anything. With work, with people. I always feel like I’m one step behind."
     Jaxon didn’t speak right away. Then he said, "Yeah. But you keep walking anyway. That’s more than a lot of people can say."
     Hayley looked over at him, something unreadable flickering in her eyes.
     Hayley looked over at him, something unreadable flickering in her eyes. She held his gaze a moment longer, then looked away.
     "If you only knew..." she murmured under her breath, so softly he didn’t hear it.
     Jaxon tilted his head slightly, but said nothing, sensing something he couldn’t quite name.
     Jaxon glanced sideways, not quite catching her words.
     "What was that?"
     Hayley shook her head quickly. "Nothing," she said, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Just talking to myself."

He didn’t push. But he noticed the way her shoulders stiffened slightly, how her steps grew a little more careful as they continued walking after sitting on the bench. Something about her felt like a wall—one that was already cracking but still determined to stand tall.
     They kept walking, their path winding toward the edge of a nearby park. The fading sunlight cast a golden glow on the trees, shadows stretching long on the pavement. People strolled past with dogs and ice creams, the soft hum of summer around them.
     "So," Jaxon said after a moment, hands deep in his pockets, "is this the part where I get to ask personal questions?"
     Hayley smirked. "Depends on what kind of questions you're planning to ask."
     "Oh, just the usual." He tilted his head. "Your blood type. Your deepest childhood trauma. What you think about pineapple on pizza."
     She let out a soft laugh. "Bold."
     "I'm just trying to get a sense of your survival instincts."
     "Okay," she nodded, playing along. "Pineapple on pizza is horrible, and should be illigal. Blood type? O negative, I think. And the trauma?" She shrugged, still smiling, but her eyes flickered elsewhere. "Maybe I'll save that one for the third coffee."
     Jaxon chuckled. "Fair enough."
     They paused at a quiet intersection. Hayley looked up at the sky—clouds starting to streak pink and orange overhead.
     "I like this," she said quietly.
     He looked over. "The walk?"
     "No," she teased, "being interrogated about my pizza preferences by a guy who can probably lift me with one arm."
     "Only one?" he grinned. "That's insulting."
     Hayley bumped his shoulder gently. "You're not that strong."
     Jaxon laughed. "Says the woman who nearly knocked over a heavy bag yesterday. I'm still convinced you've secretly trained in a forest somewhere."
     She gave him a look. "You think I'm some kind of underground warrior?"
     He shrugged. "Would explain a lot."
     Hayley rolled her eyes but couldn’t help smiling. "I used to take a few kickboxing classes. Nothing serious. Just… something that made me feel like I had control over something."
     He nodded, the teasing fading just slightly. "That makes sense."
     There was a beat of quiet again, not awkward but thoughtful. Jaxon kicked a stone on the ground, sending it skittering into the gutter.
     "You always seem so… put-together," he said. "At work, I mean. Like you've got it handled."
     Hayley huffed a soft breath. "Yeah, well. That's the goal, isn't it? Fake it until you make it."
     "Does it work?"
     She looked up at him. There was something in her eyes again—guarded, vulnerable, but not closed off.
     "Sometimes."
     He nodded, and they kept walking.
     Eventually, they reached the edge of a small hill overlooking part of the city skyline. There was a low metal railing, and Hayley leaned against it, looking out.
     Jaxon stopped beside her, arms crossed as he leaned too.
     "Nice view," he said.
     She didn’t respond right away. The wind tugged lightly at her hair.
     "I used to come up to rooftops just to be alone," she said. "In high school, sometimes after… hard days. It felt like I could breathe better when I was above it all."
     Jaxon looked at her, really looked, but didn’t say anything.
     "You ever feel like you're stuck inside your own head?" she asked, not meeting his eyes.
     "More than I care to admit."
     They were quiet for a moment.
     Then Jaxon bumped her arm gently with his elbow. "You're not alone up here, you know."
     Hayley smiled faintly. "I know."
     Another beat.
     "I'm glad you came today," she said. "Coffee was… nice."
     He smirked. "Better than a bar crawl with Alysa and Liam?"
     She gave him a look. "Let's not compare chaos to calm."
     "Fair enough."
     They stood there a little longer, the city glowing behind them, soft and distant.
     Finally, Hayley pushed off the railing and turned to him. "Well… I should probably head home."
     Jaxon nodded, straightening too. "Want me to walk you?"
     "No," she said quickly, then caught herself. "I mean—thanks. But I'm okay."
     He smiled knowingly. "Alright. I'll just walk behind you at a very suspicious distance, then."
     Hayley rolled her eyes, grinning. "Creep."
     They started back down the path, shoulders brushing occasionally, their steps slow.
     As they reached the edge of the park again, Jaxon glanced over, his voice low and teasing. "Next time, you're buying the coffee."
     Hayley raised a brow. "Next time?"
     He gave a mock gasp. "Unless you were planning to ghost me after one walk."
     She shrugged, playing it cool. "Guess we'll see."
     They exchanged one last look—equal parts playful and uncertain, as if both were waiting for the other to say something more.
     But neither did.
     And that was okay.

They continued walking in a comfortable silence, the kind that felt earned after a long day and an even longer week. Streetlamps flickered on around them, washing the sidewalk in soft amber light.
     As they reached the corner where they’d part ways, Jaxon slowed.
     "Hey," he said, and Hayley turned to him.
     He hesitated for a second, his eyes flickering to hers like he was weighing something.
     "What?" she asked softly.
     Jaxon’s voice was quieter now. "Nothing. Just... next time, maybe we go somewhere that’s not filled with caffeine and existential dread."
     Hayley smirked. "What, like a cemetery?"
     He laughed, shaking his head. "I was thinking maybe food. But sure, we can eat with the ghosts if that’s your thing."
     "Could be fun," she teased. "They’d probably be less judgmental than half the people at work."
     "Not sure I’d survive that dinner party," Jaxon said, smiling.
     Hayley paused, her eyes flickering over his face again. For a second, the air between them shifted—something unsaid hanging just beneath the surface.
     Then her phone buzzed.
     She pulled it out quickly, checking the screen. Her face went still.
     Jaxon noticed. "Everything okay?"
     She locked the phone, her expression unreadable now. "Yeah. Just… something I wasn’t expecting."
     Before he could ask, she stepped back. "I should go."
     Jaxon studied her, his jaw tightening a little. "Want me to—"
     "No," she cut in, too quickly. Then softened. "I’m fine. Really."
     He didn’t push.
     "See you around, Jaxon."
     "Yeah," he said. "You will."
     She turned and walked away.
     Jaxon watched her until she disappeared around the corner.
     He stayed still, brows furrowed.
     Then slowly pulled out his phone.
     He didn’t text her.
     But something told him…
     Whatever that message was — it wasn’t nothing.