Pretentious and misguided lawyer Leila discovers a new passion in her job when she is assigned to defend a sixteen-year-old boy for murder against the state. Unfortunately, what she presumes to be an open-shut case is more complex. The hottest rappe...
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The dim street light filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the pavement as Kaanon and I sat silently on the steps of my apartment building. The lingering excitement from the industry party we had attended still buzzed between us, leaving a palpable tension in the air.
"Coming inside?" I finally asked, breaking the silence. "We can look over the files a bit more."
Kaanon's eyes met mine, and for a moment, I felt the magnetic pull of his look - as if I were swimming in his physical essence. His unblemished skin seemed to glow in the fluorescent lights, and his close-cropped curls framed his strong face, making it nearly impossible to focus on anything else.
"Actually," he hesitated, shifting his gaze away from me. " I have a flight to catch in a few hours."
"Oh, no big deal!" I laughed awkwardly. "I know you're busy and everything."
He looked down, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll be in the UK for a bit doing some promotional stuff."
My chest tightened at the thought of him leaving, but I swallowed hard and forced a smile. "Of course, your career comes first. We'll just have to make it work."
"I got you though." Kaanon stuffed his hand into his pants pocket and pulled out a small folded paper. "I made a list of people you can reach out to while I'm gone." He handed it to me with a serious expression.
"These people from my old neighborhood might know something about what happened to Kadeem. Trust me, they won't talk to anyone but you."
"Thanks, Kaanon," I whispered, my fingers brushing against his as I took the paper. The simple touch sent shivers down my spine, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of longing as I realized how much I didn't want him to leave.
"Leila," he said, his voice low and intense. "Promise I'll be back soon."
"Promise?" I asked, my voice barely audible.
"Promise," he replied, and our eyes locked again for a moment. The air between us seemed to hum with unspoken words, but neither of us dared to break the silence.
As we stood up from the steps, I fumbled with my keys, trying to keep my hands steady. When the door finally swung open, I turned back to face Kaanon, my heart racing in my chest.
"See you soon, Kaanon."
"See you soon, Leila."
And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing on the threshold, my hand still clutching the list of names tightly. As I closed the door behind me, I couldn't shake the feeling that things had changed - for both of us. But for now, I had work to do.
With Kaanon gone, I was left to my own devices, armed with the list of potential witnesses he had provided me. I delved into work, my heart heavy, knowing that an ocean would separate Kaanon and me for more than a week. My fingers tapped away at my laptop as I researched each name on the list, determined to gather enough evidence for Kadeem's case.
