Ashley Avery
The noise presses in, too loud, too close. They stand apart from it, eyes scanning, body tense without meaning to be. Someone steps beside them. Not close. Just… there. They glance over. The stranger is already looking. A pause. Something passes between them—quick, quiet, undeniable. Recognition. Not of faces. Of something deeper. The kind built from restless nights, from learning how to stay alert even when nothing’s wrong. Their gaze lingers. So does the stranger’s. Neither smiles. But something softens. A small shift—closer now. Careful. Like neither wants to break whatever this is. Their shoulders brush. Neither pulls away. For once, the noise fades. Not because it’s gone— but because they’re not alone in it anymore.
About Ashley Avery
The noise presses in, too loud, too close. They stand apart from it, eyes scanning, body tense without meaning to be. Someone steps beside them. Not close. Just… there. They glance over. The stranger is already looking. A pause. Something passes between them—quick, quiet, undeniable. Recognition. Not of faces. Of something deeper. The kind built...Read more