the quiet hum of the ferrari's engine blended into the distant sounds of the city. the bridge stretched ahead, bathed in the soft glow of streetlights, the river below reflecting the shimmering skyline of london. the night was calm, yet something about the scene felt off.

zach's fingers tapped against the steering wheel as he drove at a slow, steady pace. alexandra sat beside him, her gaze drifting out of the window, watching as they crossed the bridge. it was late, and most of the city had moved indoors, leaving the streets eerily empty. but then, movement caught her eye.

a lone figure walking along the pavement.

at first, she barely registered it—just another person out at this hour. but as the car rolled closer, something about the way the girl walked caught alexandra's attention. her posture was stiff, her arms wrapped around herself as if bracing against a cold that wasn't there. she wasn't staggering, not drunk. just... alone.

zach noticed too. he gave a low whistle under his breath. "you think that's her?"

"who else would it be?" alexandra muttered, narrowing her eyes.

zach honked, a quick, sharp sound that echoed across the bridge.

the girl flinched but didn't stop. instead, she walked faster, her head turning slightly as if to check behind her but refusing to acknowledge them. alexandra could practically see the thought process in her head—strange car, late at night, unknown people. probably assuming the worst.

but alexandra knew who she was.

leaning forward, she pushed down the window and called out, "noah?"

the girl halted mid-step. her body tensed before she turned slowly, her gaze meeting alexandra's. recognition flickered in her eyes, replacing the caution with something softer.

zach huffed a quiet laugh. "yeah, that's her."

without hesitation, alexandra pushed open the door and stepped out onto the pavement. the cool night air brushed against her skin, sending a faint shiver down her spine, but she ignored it. her heels clicked against the stone as she closed the distance between them.

"get in," she said, her voice firm but not unkind.

noah hesitated, glancing at the car and then back at alexandra.

"he's a real asshole for leaving you here," alexandra added, crossing her arms. her voice carried no pity—just a simple fact.

noah let out a breath, shaking her head. "yeah, well... tell me something i don't know."

from the driver's seat, zach chimed in, his tone laced with amusement. "he also told us to bring you straight home. not to the party. straight home." he made air quotes around the words, mocking nicholas' instructions.

noah scoffed, rolling her eyes. "of course he did."

for a moment, she didn't move. alexandra watched as noah seemed to debate with herself, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. then, something in her expression changed.

she lifted her chin slightly, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

"you know what? i'm not quite ready to go home." her voice was steady, confident.

zach groaned dramatically. "you're really gonna make this difficult, huh?"

noah tilted her head. "you don't have to come. alexandra can drive me."

at that, alexandra raised an eyebrow. "oh, so now i'm your getaway driver?"

noah grinned. "well, you do have the fastest car here."

zach sighed, rubbing a hand down his face before glancing at alexandra. "alex, say something, please. talk some sense into her."

but alexandra only smirked, looking between zach and noah. then, with a lazy shrug, she pointed toward noah.

"what she said."

zach groaned again, but there was no real annoyance in it—just resignation. "fine. but if nick kills me for this, i'm haunting both of you."

"deal." alexandra winked before stepping back toward the car.

noah hesitated for just a second longer before finally walking over and slipping into the passenger seat. alexandra followed, settling into the driver's side, feeling the leather mold perfectly to her. zach climbed into the back, muttering something under his breath about reckless decisions.

the moment alexandra turned the key, the ferrari purred to life, the deep growl of the engine cutting through the silence.

noah glanced at her. "so, where are we going?"

alexandra pressed down on the accelerator, the car smoothly rolling forward as a slow smirk curled her lips.

"somewhere that isn't home."

( © SOLXSTRS 2025 )