AXEL’S POV:
Chase’s hand hovered awkwardly in the space between us for a moment longer, his smile faltering. He didn’t retract it right away, as though hoping I’d reconsider, but I didn’t. Instead, I folded my arms across my chest and said, "I don’t do handshakes."
The words came out like steel, cutting clean through the fake pleasantries he’d tried to establish. His face flushed slightly before he tucked his hand into his pocket, attempting to hide the embarrassment that even his demeanor couldn’t mask.
Recovering quickly, he cleared his throat and gestured to the couple standing behind him. "Allow me to introduce you to my parents."
His mother stepped forward first, her smile wide and artificial, as though it had been practiced in the mirror before this meeting. She gave a smal
