[Celeste]
Elijah approached us. Behind him, Elvis trailed silently, his watchful eyes surveying the surroundings. Elijah didn’t seem to notice—or care about my attempt to keep things casual. His arms wrapped around me in a cheerful embrace, his voice bright.
“I missed you, Celeste!”
I stiffened. It was strange. We’d seen each other just yesterday. I darted a glance at Ryder, who stood a few paces beside me. His gaze darkened as he noticed Elijah’s touch. Panicking, I quickly pulled away, entwining my arm with Ryder’s in a desperate attempt to soothe any brewing temper.
“Elijah, this is Ryder,” I said with a smile.
Elijah’s smile widened. “It’s nice to finally meet you.” His tone was polite, but when Ryder extended a hand, Elijah made no move to shake it.
I watched Ryder’s brow twitc
