Delphine needed space.
She needed air. Needed to be anywhere but here, trapped inside a car that was more than a car, sitting beside a mech that was more than a mech.
Because if she stayed any longer, she'd start believing him.
Her fingers curled around the door handle, heart hammering. "I need to get out."
Bumblebee's radio crackled. "No."
A sharp pulse of heat shot through her.
Her head snapped toward the dashboard. "Excuse me?"
His engine rumbled, deep and steady. "Not running."
Delphine clenched her jaw. "I'm not running."
A soft growl vibrated beneath her seat.
Liar.
She cursed under her breath. "Bee, I need a minute."
His radio flickered, scanning through static before settling on a quiet, clipped response.
"You leave. I follow."
Her stomach flipped.
She exhaled sharply, tilting her head back against the seat. "You really don't understand boundaries, do you?"
A hum. "No."
Her lips twitched—halfway between frustration and something else. Something warm that she didn't want to acknowledge.
She shook her head, trying to push past the heat curling low in her stomach. "Okay, listen. I don't know what's going on between us, but you can't just—decide things for me."
Silence.
For a moment, she thought maybe he was actually listening.
Then—
The doors locked.
A sharp click echoed through the cabin, and Delphine froze.
Her breath caught. "Bee."
His radio hummed, shifting through static.
Then, low and certain—
"Decided a long time ago."
A shiver crawled down her spine.
The weight of his presence pressed against her, even though he wasn't physically touching her. It was just there, surrounding her, filling every space between them.
Like he wasn't just claiming her.
He was waiting for her to accept it.
Delphine swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.
She should've been scared.
She wasn't.
Because the truth was—
She had always felt it, too.