"Goodbye, Malaysia"

At the airport, her heart ached a little.

She glanced around—her mother smiling sadly, Amelia complaining about the weight of her luggage, and Adrian standing beside her, hands in his pockets, looking at her instead of the departure gate.

"Are you ready, nerd?" Adrian teased, nudging her arm.

Ally smiled, inhaling the familiar scent of home one last time.

"Yeah. I think I am."

The cold Irish air greeted them as they stepped out of the airport. Ally pulled her coat tighter around her body, still adjusting to the sudden change in temperature.

And then, there she was.

Victoria.

Standing beside her car, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

"Welcome back," she said, forcing a smile. "Mr. Harrison asked me to pick you guys up."

Ally stayed silent. Amelia shot Victoria a glare, while Adrian didn’t bother hiding his annoyance.

"Let’s just go." Adrian muttered, placing Ally’s bag in the trunk.

Ally sat in the back seat with Amelia, while Adrian sat in the front. The drive was filled with awkward silence, except for Victoria’s occasional glances at the rearview mirror—watching Ally.

"Why? Am i too pretty?" asked Ally

Victoria scoffed, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. "Please. Don’t flatter yourself."

Ally smirked, resting her chin on her palm. "Then why do you keep staring at me? Mesmerized by my beauty?"

Amelia choked on her own laughter, while Adrian let out a low chuckle, shaking his head.

Victoria’s jaw tightened. "Trust me, Dr. Ally, you’re the last person I’d ever be mesmerized by."

"Hmm, your actions say otherwise." Ally teased, tilting her head slightly.

Victoria let out a sharp breath, clearly irritated. "You’re insufferable."

Ally grinned. "And yet, you can't keep your eyes off me."

That night, exhaustion finally caught up to Ally. She was sitting on the sofa, her head resting lightly against Adrian’s shoulder as they watched a documentary Amelia had put on.

Adrian noticed her breathing slow down, and when he glanced to the side, he saw her eyes closed, her face peaceful. She had fallen asleep on him.

He sighed, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Even in your sleep, you’re still clinging onto me, nerd." He muttered under his breath.

Amelia, who had been scrolling through her phone on the other couch, glanced up and grinned. "You’re screwed, bro."

Adrian rolled his eyes. "She’s just tired." But his hand instinctively adjusted the blanket over her.

Amelia smirked. "Yeah, sure. Keep telling yourself that."

Adrian shook his head, but he didn’t move away. Instead, he let Ally rest, secretly enjoying the rare moment of peace between them.