Then, slowly, her gaze shifted again, taking in the surroundings from a different angle this time.
Not confusion. Not displacement. But context. The automobiles. The setting. The intention behind it.
Bruce didn't stop there.
He stepped slightly closer to her side, his presence steady and unintrusive, his hand brushing lightly against hers before interlocking their fingers again as naturally as breathing, as though it had always belonged there.
"I want to give you a proper ride there."
His voice lowered just slightly, not softer, but closer. More personal.
"Besides…"
A faint pause followed, subtle but deliberate.
His thumb brushed against the back of her hand in a slow, absent motion.
"What better way do we have to spend time together than that?"
Something in her expression shifted.
It was subtle. Almost imperceptible.
The faint crease between her brows smoothed out. The confusion that had lingered in her gaze dissolved, replaced by something quieter. Warmer.
