My throat went tight immediately.
Kael glanced up from where he was standing, eyes narrowing as he clocked the flowers. His expression didn't change exactly, but I felt the assessment in it.
Soren's posture shifted — that subtle, silent adjustment he made when he was paying close attention. Neither of them said anything. Good. This had nothing to do with them.
I walked straight to the counter.
Each step felt heavier than the last. My heart was doing something embarrassing in my chest that I was choosing not to examine. I stopped at the counter and waited.
She didn't look up immediately.
I stood there and waited some more.
The seconds stretched out, thin and awful, and I was acutely aware of every one of them. My palms were damp. My jaw ached from how hard I was clenching it. I was s
