I fix him a glare, waiting for him to make one wrong move but he just inhales deeply and turns, walking away.
The hall stays quiet for a moment, like everyone is waiting to see what happens next. When nothing does, the whispering slowly comes back.
At our table, nobody moves or says anything for a few seconds before Rio breaks the silence.
He turns to Layla and for once he doesn’t have a joke ready. “Hey. That guy’s an i***t. Don’t let anything he said sit with you.” He gives me a glance. “Good hit, E.”
“Baze had no right.” Johnny adds, his jaw still tight. “We will stomp him flat for you, Layla.”
Layla shakes her head. “No, I’m fine. I know his kind. I’ve dealt with plenty of him.”
Somehow, that makes me sad. The thought that she’s dealt with people like Baze a lot. The fact that
