"Yeah, yeah," Zack said, still chuckling. "Go meet your date before another man hits her up."

    Ethan ignored him, already rushing upstairs.

    Once he reached his room, he yanked open his closet, grabbed a jacket, and threw it over his shoulder.

    He had no time to shower or even properly fix his hair.

    He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror — tired, slightly messy, but passable. Good enough.

    As he rushed back out into the hallway, he stopped by Vanessa''s room.

    Without much thought, he swung the door open.

    Vanessa, who had been lying on her bed scrolling through her phone, sat up in surprise. "Uh — ?"

    "I''m heading out," Ethan said quickly. "Keep yourself together."

    She blinked at him. "What does that even mean?"

    But before she could get an answer, he shut the door and ran downstairs.

    It was already dark outside, and a cool breeze hit his face as he stepped onto the porch.

    He pulled out his phone, quickly calling Lila.

    She picked up almost immediately. "Hey!"

    "Hey, sorry I''m late," Ethan said, unlocking his bike. "Where do you wanna meet?"

    There was a pause, then a teasing lilt in her voice. "You forgot, didn''t you?"

    Ethan winced. "Listen, I have a very good excuse — "

    "Mhm, sure you do."

    "Come on, cut me some slack. I was buried in work all day."

    "Fine, fine," she said, clearly amused. "Meet me at that cafe? near the plaza. The one with the nice lights outside."

    Ethan swung a leg over his bike. "Got it. Be there soon."

    "Don''t make me wait too long~" she teased before hanging up.

    With a deep breath, Ethan started the engine. It had been a while since he rode, and the familiar hum beneath him felt oddly calming.

    He pulled out of the driveway and onto the street, picking up speed as he wove through the city roads.

    For a moment, he let himself enjoy it — the night air, the faint glow of streetlights, the roar of his bike beneath him.

    It was a welcome break from staring at a screen for hours.

    But he had a date to get to.

    And after forgetting about it entirely, the last thing he wanted was to be late.

    #####

    Lila stood near the entrance of the cafe?, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as she shivered slightly.

    The night air was crisp, and though she had worn a coat, it wasn''t quite enough to shield her from the cold completely.

    She exhaled, watching as her breath formed a faint mist in the air.

    She glanced at her phone. Ethan was late.

    She wasn''t mad — yet — but she was definitely thinking about it.

    The cafe? was warm and inviting, the golden glow from the string lights outside giving it a cozy charm.

    The scent of fresh coffee and baked goods wafted through the air, teasing her senses.

    It would be so easy to just go inside, get a hot drink, and wait for him there, but some stubborn part of her insisted on waiting outside.

    She hesitated before speaking. "So... why were you late?"

    Ethan glanced at her before leaning back against the booth. "Work."

    Lila tilted her head. "That''s all you''re giving me?"

    He smirked slightly. "Pretty much."

    She huffed, but before she could press him further, he added, "It''s the resort. The registrations are piling up. Like, insanely piling up. Zack and I spent the whole day trying to verify them."

    Lila''s eyes widened. "That''s good, right?"

    "Oh, definitely," Ethan said, though his expression was a mix of excitement and exhaustion. "But it''s also a nightmare. We''ve got over 150,000 people trying to register. Zack thinks the website''s gonna crash at this rate."

    Lila let out a low whistle. "That''s crazy."

    "Tell me about it." Ethan took another sip of his coffee, wincing again at the bitterness. "I was so buried in work I almost forgot we had plans."

    Lila raised an eyebrow. "Almost?"

    "...Okay, completely," Ethan admitted, looking sheepish. "But I remembered eventually!"

    Lila rolled her eyes. "Unbelievable."

    Ethan grinned. "You still showed up, though."

    Lila took a slow sip of her drink, avoiding his gaze. "Maybe I just wanted a free drink."

    Ethan chuckled, leaning forward. "Or maybe you just wanted to see me."

    She scoffed, but her cheeks warmed slightly. "Don''t push your luck."

    They fell into an easy conversation after that, talking about everything and nothing at the same time.

    The cafe? buzzed around them, but it felt like they were in their own little world.

    After a while, Lila noticed Ethan''s eyes drooping slightly.

    His coffee was half-finished, but the exhaustion was catching up to him. She sighed, shaking her head.

    "Alright, you look like you''re about to pass out on the table," she said. "I''m calling it. We''re heading out."

    Ethan groaned. "Five more minutes..."

    "Nope. You need sleep. Let''s go."

    She grabbed his arm and hauled him up, ignoring his protests.

    He was tired enough that he didn''t put up much of a fight, just muttering about how unfair life was as she led him toward the exit.

    Outside, the night was still chilly, but it felt a little more bearable after being inside.

    Ethan stretched, yawning as he walked over to his bike.

    Lila hesitated. "You sure you''re okay to drive?"

    Ethan smirked. "Are you worried about me?"

    She rolled her eyes. "I''m worried about you crashing, dumbass."

    "I''ll be fine." He put on his helmet and swung a leg over his bike. "Besides, if I crash, at least I''ll go out looking cool."

    Lila gave him a deadpan stare. "Not funny."

    Ethan chuckled, revving the engine. "I''ll text you when I get home, alright?"

    She sighed. "You better."

    With one last smirk, Ethan took off down the road, the roar of his bike fading into the night.

    Lila stood there for a moment, watching him go before shaking her head with a small smile.

    "Idiot."