For a fleeting moment, all I could think about was how normal it felt.
Sitting there. Talking. Breathing without feeling like something was about to rip my throat out.
Naomi leaned back slightly on the stump across from me, one hand resting near the rifle by her leg.
"Doesn't take much for you to get chummy with someone, does it?" she asked.
There was something dry in her tone, but not hostile.
I couldn't help the small smile that slipped out.
"Guess that's what loneliness does to you."
She huffed lightly through her nose, shaking her head.
"Or maybe you've just always been like that. Friendly face, easy voice. Makes people drop their guard."
"Worked so far."
"Yeah," she muttered. "Until it doesn't."
I was about to say something back, something smart, something to keep the moment going—
But my eyes drifted past her.
Movement.
At first, it was just a shape between the trees. Nothing clear. Just a figure getting closer.
My fingers tightened around the grip of my gun.
