Reyes was sitting by himself in the big conference room of the tower.

Empty chairs were all around him, and a long table stretched out in the middle of the room.

The huge windows showed off the city, with twinkling lights in the distance. He liked it here; it was quiet and calm... a good place to think.

Lately, he had been doing a lot of that: thinking about the war, Alpha, and how close they had come to losing everything. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

He couldn’t shake off the memories of Zayden almost dying, the choices they had made, the sacrifices they had taken, and especially her... Azalea. She was always on his mind.

The way she smiled, how she moved, and the way she looked at him when she thought he wasn’t paying attention. But he was always paying attention; he just acted like he wasn’t.

Knock, knock.

Reyes looked up. The door was open, and Azalea stood there, dressed casually in jeans and a comfy sweater. Her hair was down, framing her face and making her look beautiful. She smiled when their eyes met.

"Mind if I join you?"

Reyes motioned to the empty chairs. "It’s a big room... lots of space."

Azalea laughed. "That’s not really an answer."

He almost smiled. "You can sit."

"Thanks for the permission, sir."

She walked in but didn’t take one of the many empty chairs. Instead, she slid into the one right next to him, pulling it a little closer than needed. Their knees were almost touching.

Reyes noticed. Of course, he noticed.

Azalea leaned back, looking relaxed. "So, what are you doing up here all alone?"

"Thinking."

"About?"

"Stuff."

Azalea grinned. "Wow. Very detailed. Thanks for sharing."

Reyes glanced at her. "What do you want me to say?"

"Anything. Just talk to me. We’ve known each other for weeks, and you barely say more than ten words to me at a time."

"I’m not really chatty," Reyes said.

"I can tell," she replied, tilting her head. "But you actually talk to Leo, Zayden, Kade, and even Aylin."

"That’s different," Reyes insisted.

"How come?"

Reyes didn’t say anything. The truth was, talking to them was chill, but chatting with her felt risky.

Azalea leaned in, resting her chin in her hand, her eyes bright with curiosity.

"You know what I think?" she asked.

"What?" Reyes replied.

"I think you totally avoid me on purpose."

Reyes tightened his jaw. "I don’t avoid you."

"Really? Because every time I walk in somewhere, you find a way to slip out."

"That’s not true."

"It absolutely is," she said with a grin. "So, do I make you nervous?"

"No."

"Total liar."

Reyes looked at her. She was smiling, playfully teasing him, and seemed to enjoy this way too much. He glanced away and muttered, "You’re impossible."

"I like to think of myself as ’charming,’" she said.

"That too."

Azalea laughed, her warm, genuine laughter filling the room. Reyes felt a shift in his chest as she settled back in her chair, still smiling.

"So, tell me something about you," she prompted.

"Like what?" Reyes asked.

"Anything. Your favorite color, favorite food, a fun memory from when you were a kid... just something real," Reyes replied.

He took a moment to think. "I like green."

Azalea raised an eyebrow. "That’s it? That’s your big thing?"

"You asked."

"I meant something a little deeper."

"Green’s my favorite color. That’s pretty deep."

Azalea shook her head and laughed. "You’re so ridiculous."

"You told me I could share anything."

"Fine. My turn. I like red, can’t stand avocados, and when I was seven, I convinced Zayden we could fly if we jumped off the garage roof."

Reyes looked at her, curious. "Did you actually jump?"

"Of course! But he went first. He broke his arm."

"And you?" Reyes asked.

"I chickened out. I told my mom it was all his idea."

Reyes almost smiled. "So you’re a coward and a liar."

Azalea gasped dramatically. "Excuse me! I’d rather think of myself as strategically careful and creatively honest."

This time, a small, genuine smile showed up on Reyes’ face. Azalea caught it.

Her expression softened. "There it is."

"What?" he asked.

"Your smile. I knew you had one. I was starting to think it was just a myth."

Reyes shook his head. "You talk way too much."

"And you don’t talk enough. We balance each other out."

A quiet moment settled in, but it wasn’t awkward... just... there.

Azalea glanced out the window at the city lights before saying, "Can I ask you something serious?"

Reyes tensed a little. "Sure."

"Where do you see yourself in five years? What about ten? Got any plans?"

Reyes thought for a second. "Nope."

Azalea raised an eyebrow, surprised. "No plan at all?"

"I just take life one day at a time. When I try to plan too far ahead—" He paused. "It usually doesn’t work out for me."

"Why’s that?"

Reyes looked down at his hands.

"Because nothing ever goes as planned. Life tends to take everything you thought you wanted and just destroy it."

Azalea’s expression changed; she was serious and understanding now.

"What happened to you, Reyes?"

He took a moment before answering. Then he said, "My mom died when I was five. Cancer. My dad tried to keep it together, but he fell apart. He started drinking, got into debt, and hung out with bad people." He took a breath. "When I was twelve, they killed him right in front of me."

Azalea’s breath caught. Reyes went on, his voice flat and unemotional.

"After that, I was alone. I moved from foster home to foster home, ran away when I was fifteen, and lived on the streets. I did what I had to do to get by."

"Reyes—"

"I never had a home. I never had a family. I never had one place I could call my own." He looked at her. "So no, I don’t have a five-year plan. I don’t even know where I’ll be next month."

Azalea reached out and placed her hand on his. He looked down; her hand felt warm and soft.

She squeezed gently. "I’m really sorry about everything."

Reyes shook his head. "That’s just how it went."

"It doesn’t have to be like that."

He looked at her, and she didn’t look away, staying strong and confident. Then she hit him with the words that changed everything.

"I like you, Reyes."

He went still. She didn’t blink or take it back; she just waited, keeping eye contact.

Reyes pulled his hand away, stood up, and walked over to the window, putting some space between them.

"Azalea, we’re not the same."

"I get it."

"You come from an upstanding family... strong background, money, stability, a future."

He turned to face her now.

"I don’t have any of that. I’ve got no family. I don’t have one place to call home. I’m always moving, hiding, just trying to survive."

Azalea stood up and walked closer to him.

"So?"

"So—" He stopped her with a hand up. "You deserve better."

"Better than what? Better than you?"

"Exactly."

Azalea looked at him closely. She really noticed the pain, the fear, and the walls he built around himself. She moved even closer.

"What if I don’t want better? What if I just want you?"

Reyes shook his head. "You have no idea what you’re saying."

"I know exactly what I’m saying."

"Azalea—"

"Just let me finish."

He went quiet. She took a deep breath.

"I had a boyfriend before all this. His name was Raphael. We were together for three years. We were planning to get married and build a life." She paused for a moment.

"He died three years ago."

Reyes’ expression softened as Azalea kept going.

"After he passed away, I just shut down. I didn’t go on any dates or let anyone in. I put up these crazy high walls so nobody could get in."

She looked at Reyes. "Until you came along."

Reyes swallowed.

"I can see how you look at me when you think I’m not noticing. I catch that smile you give when I tease you. I see you, Reyes. All of you. And I’m into what I see."

"You don’t really know me."

"Then let me get to know you. Let me in."

Reyes looked away. "I’m not great at this. Relationships. Feelings. I don’t know how to—"

"You don’t need to have it all figured out. We can sort it out together."

He was quiet, torn between wanting to believe her and feeling nervous.

Azalea took a step closer, standing right in front of him, close enough to touch.

"There’s something else," Reyes said quietly.

He looked at her... really looked at her.

Like he was deciding something.

Like he was about to either step forward... or walk away.

"There’s something I need to tell you."

Azalea waited while he took a breath.