Oak's question hung in the air between us, heavy with implications I wasn't sure I knew the full extent of. The weight of his gaze made me feel like I was being pinned in place, unable to look away from those piercing blue eyes. I opened my mouth, then closed it again, words failing me.
Vivian had said those things to me in the spur of the moment, Oak never wanted her to tell me…mentioning her now…I wasn't sure how much trouble she would be in if I did.
"I... I..." I stammered, my mind racing to find a plausible explanation. But before I could come up with anything, Elias stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Perhaps this isn't the best place for this conversation," he said, his voice calm but firm. "We should go inside. It's been a long night for all of us."
Oak's gaze sh
