The simple gesture of him leaning forward, a soft smile on his face, sent a jolt of discomfort through me. It wasn't a bad feeling, not exactly, but it was all wrong. It felt like something from a long time ago, a half-remembered moment that didn't fit with the person I was now. I felt a flush creeping up my cheeks, a heat I hadn't felt in what felt like forever. Needing to do something, anything, with my hands, I picked up my napkin and unfolded it with a deliberate slowness. My eyes stayed locked on the simple white cloth as I arranged it just so in my lap. I didn't want to look at him, didn't want to see the honest kindness in his gaze. "Thanks, Bran," I mumbled, the words feeling foreign and stiff on my tongue. "That was a nice thing to say."
"No, it wasn’t a nice thing to say. It’s t
