WHEN WE COLLIDE

PTE

ying to shake off the weird feeling that's been gnawing at me since our encounter with that woman. The streets are mostly empty, save for a few late-night st

ny silence with chatter, but tonight he's been oddly subdued. I glance over at him, wondering

mind?" I ask, bre

ring. "You ever get the feeling you missed out on somethin

dry chuckle.

ow what it is, but there was something about that woman back th

omething like that. He's not usually

I feel like we should have done more, you k

ply, trying to reassure him-and myself. But the truth is, I feel the same way. There was so

ys, shrugging as he starts walking again. "Hell,

nvinced. There was a connection the

keep drifting back to the bar, to the look on her face when Mason spoke to her. I w

car is parked, and he stops, turni

I'll call it a night.

says, giving me a half-sm

stand there for a moment, watching the taillights disapp

yes, the way she seemed so lost. I can't shake the feeling that I should have done more. Maybe it's becaus

handle. For some reason, I hesitate before going in. I glance up at the sky, taki

lf, shaking my head. It's just one night. One

it d

bby is quiet, the only sound the faint hum of the elevator as it moves between floors. I ta

de, the only light coming from the streetlamp outside my window. I toss my jacket onto the couch and head to the ki

tment is almost deafening, a stark contrast to the noise of the bar. It's moments like these w

t is that's bothering me about tonight-but it's not that easy. I keep seeing her face, the way her

was she alone? And w

ot the type to get hung up on strangers, but there's something about her t

ay to escape these thoughts. I head to my bedroom, stripping off my clothes and crawling into

t doe

back to the bar, about asking the bartender if he knows who she is, but I push the thought aside. That

g me awake. Eventually, I give up on sleep and grab my phone from the nightstand, scrolling

hts still tangled up in the mystery of that woman. When I wake up, it's with a d

but my mind is elsewhere. Even as I sit in meetings and respond to emails, I can

tonight. Maybe it's a long shot, but I need to try. I need to see her agai

ation and anxiety. I don't know what I'm going to say

sky painted in shades of orange and pink. I take a d

ppens, I ha