Her gaze moved toward me as she stirred her tea, her smile small and measured.
It’s as if showing emotions, no matter how faint, would cause them to lose a fight that I don’t even have an idea of.
“My tongue felt numb, so I stuttered. I’m sorry,” I apologized, even if I didn’t need to, as I took my seat. “Thanks,” I added, telling it to River as I folded my hands in my lap.
I smiled toward him, keeping my expression neutral and calm, just as I’d been taught.
But River… It seems like he could read my mind. Like he knew that he was faking it. After all, his attention has been on me all this time. He could even see the real me that I kept on hiding inside.
“Is something bothering you?” Mom asked, her gaze sharp as she looked at me, then glanced at River before it returned to me in an in
