XXII

As the credits rolled, Riley stretched with a satisfied sigh. "That was so good," she said, turning to the other two. "Right?"

Maya shrugged, sitting up and running a hand through her hair. "Meh. It was okay."

Danielle smirked, shaking her head. "You slept through half of it."

Maya shot her a look. "And yet, I still got the plot."

Riley rolled her eyes, used to their banter by now. "Well, thanks for watching it with me."

Danielle glanced at the time on her phone and exhaled. "I should probably get going."

Both Maya and Riley looked at her, slightly surprised.

"You sure?" Riley asked. "You can stay again if you want. I can get extra blankets—"

"I'm good," Danielle cut in gently. "I already told Izzy I'd be home in the morning."

Maya studied her for a moment, her expression unreadable. "You don't have to rush out, y'know."

Danielle forced a small smile. "Yeah, I do. But thanks."

Riley, ever the hostess, perked up. "At least let us walk you down."

Danielle didn't argue. The three of them made their way downstairs, the quiet hum of the TV in the background filling the silence. When they reached the front door, Riley gave Danielle a bright smile. "Well, thanks for staying. Even if you won't admit it, I know you had fun."

Danielle huffed out a laugh. "Sure, Riles."

Maya leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Drive safe, Chiron."

Danielle rolled her eyes at the nickname but didn't correct her. Instead, she hesitated for just a second before nodding at both of them. "See you Monday."

"See ya," Maya said, softer this time.

Danielle stepped outside, the cool afternoon air hitting her as she made her way to her car. She didn't look back, but she could feel them watching her. And for some reason, she didn't mind.

---

Danielle pulled into the driveway, the hum of her Bugatti cutting off as she turned off the ignition. The house stood still and quiet, just as she expected—it was the middle of the afternoon, and Izzy was probably holed up in the office, working through another pile of contracts or whatever kept her busy most days.

Grabbing her bag, Danielle stepped out of the car and headed inside. The air was cool, untouched since she'd left that morning. She kicked off her shoes by the door and made a beeline for the kitchen, suddenly aware of how long it had been since she'd eaten.

She pulled open the fridge, scanning the neatly arranged shelves before sighing and grabbing a bottle of water. There was food, plenty of it, but nothing that felt... comforting.

Not like Riley's house.

Shaking off the thought, she leaned against the counter and pulled out her phone, scrolling absentmindedly. A few messages from Lilianna, one from William, and—she hesitated—one from Maya.

Maya🐦

Hope the ego made it home okay.

Danielle smirked, rolling her eyes as she typed back.

Chiron🚗

Aw you caring about me, Chirp?

The reply came almost instantly.

Maya🐦

Shut up.

Danielle chuckled, shaking her head as she put her phone down. The house was too quiet, and for once, she wasn't in the mood to sit in it.

With a sigh, she pushed off the counter and headed upstairs. Maybe she'd take a shower, get some practice in, something to keep herself busy. Because if she let herself think too much, she knew exactly where her mind would wander.

As Danielle made her way upstairs, she tossed her bag onto her bed and sat down, running a hand through her hair. The silence of the house felt heavier than usual, pressing in on her now that she was alone again.

Maya had stayed at Riley's.

Danielle wasn't sure why that thought sat in her chest the way it did. It wasn't like she wasn't there everyday, it's not like she expected Maya to come with her—she didn't even want that. Probably.

Still, after spending the night surrounded by warmth, by people who filled the air with laughter and effortless conversation, coming back to this—just her, an empty house, and the distant sound of the clock ticking—felt a little like whiplash.

She sighed, standing up and heading for the bathroom. A shower. That would help. Something to wash away the weird feeling settling in her stomach.

As the water ran hot, steam curling around the edges of the mirror, Danielle caught her own reflection. For a second, she just stared.

She had everything, didn't she? A great car. A big house. People who respected her.

So why did it feel like something was missing?

Danielle exhaled sharply, shaking off the thought as she stepped into the shower. The water was scalding, but she welcomed the heat, letting it chase away the lingering feeling of unease.

She stayed under the stream longer than necessary, watching droplets race down the glass before finally turning the faucet off.

By the time she stepped out, towel-drying her hair, the house was still as quiet as before. No distant chatter, no footsteps, no warmth. Just the familiar emptiness.

She dressed in comfortable clothes—sweatpants and an oversized hoodie—before making her way downstairs. The kitchen was spotless, a reminder that no one had been here since she left the night before.

Her aunt was probably still at work.

Danielle pulled out her phone, hesitating before typing a quick message.

Elle

Home now. Hope work's not driving you crazy.

She tossed the phone onto the counter, not expecting an immediate response. Instead, she moved to the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water, replacing the one upstairs. She wasn't even hungry anymore, not really. It was more out of habit than anything else.

Leaning against the counter, she scrolled through her phone, half-thinking about texting Lilianna or Brooklyn. But she didn't.

Instead, her mind wandered back to Riley's house. To the way Maya had leaned against the bay window like it was her second home. To how easy everything had felt, despite Danielle's usual instinct to keep herself at arm's length.

Maybe she should've stayed longer.

She scoffed at herself. That's ridiculous.

Shaking off the thought, she grabbed her keys. She needed to clear her head. A drive—fast, open roads, music blasting—sounded like the perfect distraction.

Without another thought, she headed for the door.

Danielle slid into the driver's seat of her Bugatti, the familiar hum of the engine grounding her as she started the car. She didn't have a destination in mind—just the need to be anywhere but here, alone in a house too big and too empty for her liking.

She pulled out of the driveway, letting muscle memory take over as she navigated the roads. The sun hung lower in the sky, stretching shadows across the pavement. She turned up the music, letting the bass pulse through her chest, drowning out everything else.

Her hands tightened on the wheel as she thought back to the night before.

Topanga's words still echoed in her head. You're welcome here anytime.

It had been so casual, so sincere, and yet... Danielle hadn't known what to do with it. Because nobody said things like that to her. Nobody offered her a place, a home, without expecting something in return.

And then there was Maya.

Danielle could still picture the way the blonde had leaned against her car, sleep-heavy and comfortable, trusting Danielle to get her home. The thought sent an unfamiliar warmth through her chest—one she wasn't sure she liked.

She exhaled sharply, pressing harder on the gas.

She didn't want to think about that.

Eventually, she found herself pulling up to an overlook just outside the city, where the skyline stretched out in front of her, bathed in the fading light of the afternoon. It was quiet, just the distant hum of the city below and the occasional gust of wind rustling through the trees.

She parked, stepping out and leaning against the hood of her car, watching as the sky shifted from orange to deep blue.

She could stay here for a while. Let the world slow down.

At least until she figured out what the hell was going on in her head.