A brief moment of silence settled between them.
Jake blinked. "Whoa—where'd that come from?"
Sarah grinned. "What? Think you're the only one with lines?"
He chuckled. "Alright, alright… I see you."
"C'mon, Silent Killer. Let's get some air—this place is starting to feel stuffy."
He nodded, pushing himself off the couch. "Yeah… let's go."
The cool afternoon breeze brushed against their faces as they walked side by side, silence comfortably settling between them.
Jake broke the quiet. "You know, you're actually pretty decent, Sarah. I'm glad my dad got you."
She glanced at him, curious. "Decent?"
Jake scratched the back of his neck, a sheepish grin forming.
"Yeah… decent. Y'know, not some crazy gold digger."
Sarah raised a brow, lips twitching. "Wait, you thought I was... A golddigger?"
"Yeah… kind of. At first, anyway. But I guess you're alright."
Sarah blinked, pretending to be offended. "Wow. That's rude."
Then smirked. "But I can't exactly blame you. Your rich dad marrying someone barely older than his son? Kinda sus."
"But I like that you're finally opening up to me," she said, her voice softer now.
"Yeah… or maybe I'm just tired of being alone," he replied, hands tucked deep in his pockets as they walked.
The wind carried a moment of quiet between them.
"...You didn't come to your dad's and my wedding because it was your final year and you were 'busy'..." she said, throwing a glance his way. "So logically, I figured you'd at least have a girlfriend—or someone close."
Jake let out a small laugh, squinting at the sky.
"Yeah, well… finals weren't the only reason I bailed. And as for a girlfriend…" he paused, shaking his head.
"Turns out being me isn't exactly a selling point."
Sarah raised a brow. "You're saying, in four years of college, no one caught your eye?"
He shrugged. "Caught my eye? Sure. Let in? Not really. I kept people at arm's length."
"Mm, I feel you," Sarah said, nodding softly.
A cool breeze rustled through the trees as Jake and Sarah continued walking side by side. The afternoon light cast long shadows, but something else moved in those shadows — two figures cloaked in darkness slipping silently past them.
Sarah barely noticed at first, until a cold whisper brushed against her ear:
"Found you."
Her blood ran cold. She snapped her head toward the voice, but the figures were gone—vanished like smoke.
Hunter, she thought, heart pounding.
Jake noticed her sudden stillness. "You alright?"
"Go on back home without me," she said, her voice tense.
"Why do you look like you just saw a ghost?" he asked, eyes narrowing.
"I didn't see anything. I heard it. Just go home, Jake."
He frowned, confused. "You're not making any sense."
Damn, I can't let him get involved... but why's he being so damn stubborn? she thought.
"Go home, Jake!" she yelled, disappearing into the crowd.
Jake stood frozen for a moment, then shook his head and walked off.
"Weird as always," he muttered under his breath.
If Hunter's here, then Huntress isn't far, Sarah thought, eyes scanning the shadows.
She finally caught sight of the two cloaked figures slipping between the alleyways.
"There they are," she whispered under her breath.