“Juni!” Sophia’s voice cut through her thoughts, bright and warm as always. Her friend was waving from nearby wine stand, her blonde curls bouncing with each movement.

As Juniper approached, she couldn’t help but notice how perfectly Sophia fit into this scene – her cream-colored coat and rosy cheeks making her look like she’d stepped out of a vintage card. The thought made her smile, despite the knot of anxiety in her chest.

“I got you the cinnamon one,” Sophia said, pressing a steaming cup into Juniper’s hands. “You look like you need it.”

“Is it that obvious?” Juniper asked, inhaling the spicy-sweet aroma.

Sophia’s eyes twinkled. “Oh, speaking of obvious – Emma was telling me the funniest thing earlier. Apparently, you and Daniel caused quite a stir in the basement archives yesterday.”

Juniper nearly choked on her drink. “What? Nothing happened, we were just working on Delaney and then the storm… ”

“Mhmm,” Sophia hummed, clearly unconvinced almost laughing. “She said the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. And Marcus swears he saw… ”