The weather was nice enough that she didn’t feel too much of a chill. She’d rather have brought the scarf sitting on her dresser though when the wind caught her off guard. Leaning more towards Cole’s side as they walked, she said, “That sounds much better.”
“I like your company.” A simple statement was enough to explain everything. The farther they walked from Bellum, the more relaxed Ileana felt. It was better being outside of the complex, away from all the strangeness that she never wanted to deal with. She pushed the lingering thought of being watched away as they turned a corner. It was easier outside, pretending like they were absolutely normal.
It was a lot nicer than she remembered – being normal for once.
“Thank you,” she smiled up at him, “You look nice too. You know, despite the shiner.”