It was a warning as much as it was a compliment.
I usually scoffed at those who were naive enough to believe people were inherently good when there was so much evil in the world. One only had to turn on the news to witness the depths of depravity to which humanity could and would sink.
But for some reason, Stella’s unwavering belief in the goodness of people struck a chord inside me I hadn’t known existed.
She wasn’t the only light of optimism around me, but she was the only one that mattered.
“Maybe not. But you’re not the villain you think you are, either.” The passing streetlights cast her face in a warm golden glow, highlighting her delicate features and the trust shining in those beautiful jade eyes.
If you only knew…
The light turned green. My eyes lingered on her for an extra second before I faced forward and stepped on the gas.
We didn’t speak again during the ride, but at the next red light, I curled my hand over hers on the center console and kept it there until we arrived home.