Chapter 51 - Touch

Rebecca let out a slow breath, still resting against Karl as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"You're comfortable, Karl."

Karl smirked, tilting his head slightly. "Am I?"

She chuckled softly. "Yeah… I don't know why, but I feel like I can just be myself around you."

He hummed. "And what does that mean, exactly?"

Rebecca shifted slightly, pressing just a little closer. "It means I don't have to think. I don't have to worry. I can just… feel."

Karl's smirk widened. "That's a dangerous thing to say."

She laughed, light and unbothered. "Why? You're my neighbor. We're close, aren't we?"

Karl let the words hang between them, watching her, reading every subtle cue.

"You trust me that much?" he murmured.

Rebecca didn't hesitate. "Of course I do."

"Even though you barely know me?"

She hummed, fingers absently tracing circles against his stomach. "I feel like I've known you forever."