"Would you like to have a drink with me?"
I didn't answer immediately.
Instead, I studied him.
Haran had a way of speaking that made everything feel lighter than it was, as if the world we lived in wasn't rotten to the core. As if kindness still meant what it used to. But I knew better. The friendliest people were always the most dangerous.
His tone wasn't forceful. It wasn't demanding. Just inviting. But an invitation in this world was never just an invitation.
I forced a smile, though it felt hollow even to me. "Sure."
The word left my lips before I could change my mind.
I stepped forward, slow, each movement measured. Not hesitant, but not too eager either. Just calm. The kind of calm that kept you alive.