Gently pulling back from the hug, he smiled softly and she turned her gaze away "You surprised me."
He retracted his hands from her and sat back on the bench, letting out a soft sigh.
Neither of them spoke, and the winds continued to drift past them.
Charlotte momentarily forgot about the cigarette and sat there.
Finally, after several long minutes, Brandon sat forward and stretched his arms above his head with a soft grunt "It's getting late..."
With a quiet sigh, she stood up, smoothing down her shorts and brushing off her palms.
Then, without another word, she turned and stepped back toward the house. The door creaked open and let out a faint squeak as she pushed it gently.
Brandon stood there for a moment longer on the steps and looked up at the sky as the stars blinked above, watching in silence.
He rubbed the back of his neck, then followed her inside, leaving the wind and moonlight behind as the door closed with a quiet click.
---
