Tender - Come: Down When You're Ready

The neon sign above the motel buzzed in a low, rhythmic hum that matched the thrumming in Elias’s chest. Inside Room 214, the air was thick with the scent of rain and unsaid words.

"Okay," she whispered into the fabric of his jacket. "I'm coming down." TENDER - Come Down When You're Ready

A small, tired smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. She took a step away from the window, the spell of the heights finally breaking. She walked toward him, her movements fluid and slow, mirroring the tempo of the music. The neon sign above the motel buzzed in

They left the neon hum behind, descending the stairs into the cool night air, where the pavement was wet and the world was waiting, ready to be navigated one soft step at a time. "I'm coming down

The album Come Down When You’re Ready spun on a small portable player they’d dragged from the car. The bass was a steady heartbeat, a tether to the physical world. Elias stood up, his joints protesting the stillness. He didn't approach her; he knew the boundaries of her orbit. Instead, he leaned against the wall, matching her gaze toward the horizon.

When she finally reached him, she didn't take his hand. Instead, she leaned her forehead against his shoulder, letting out a breath she seemed to have been holding since yesterday.