Damian
I had always believed I was reasonable.
It wasn't a personality trait so much as a professional requirement. In my field, emotion blurred judgment, and assumptions were just another form of error disguised as confidence.
And yet, the moment Elara answered her phone and I saw her on my phone screen, I found myself behaving in a way that did not qualify as reasonable at all.
"You owe me," I said.
I kept my tone light, almost casual, as if I were discussing something trivial.
Her eyes narrowed slightly before answering. "I already paid you back for the hospital bill."
"That was one incident," I replied without missing a beat.
"There wasn't a second incident," she said, immediate and certain.
I tilted my head. "There was dinner. There was the emotional distr
