Liam and Kelly stepped out of the glass lobby of the high-rise apartment complex, the sudden wall of midday heat hitting them like a heavy blanket.
Sunlight bounced off the asphalt, illuminating the light dust motes dancing in the air above the sidewalk.
They walked two blocks down to the bus stop, where the air smelled faintly of hot exhaust and damp concrete.
A city bus pulled up with a heavy hiss of pneumatic brakes, its loud, idling engine vibrating through the metal bench where they stood.
They climbed the squeaky rubber steps and walked down the narrow aisle, settling into a pair of faded vinyl seats near the middle.
The bus rumbled forward, the plastic interior panels rattling over every bump in the street. Outside the window, storefronts and pedestrians blurred past under the harsh sunlight.
Liam leaned back, resting his arm against the cool window frame. "Why didn't we just take my car?"
