Blake’s POV
The ride back to the apartment was quiet at first, the hum of the tires over asphalt filling the silence between us. Aloe sat beside me, her fingers brushing against mine on the console, tentative, testing. I didn’t pull away; not yet. Not after everything that had happened.
“You didn’t answer my question in the car,” she finally said, eyes on the passing streetlights. “Are we just… pretending for the cameras?”
I glanced at her, catching the subtle edge in her voice. “No,” I said softly. “We’re just… showing the world what I see every day.” My words were quiet, but my meaning was deliberate. I wanted her to know that the stunt at the gala wasn’t just about humiliation, it was about her, about giving her back control.
She gave me a small, half-laugh, half-sigh. “You’re too s
