NIKOLAI
“Are you okay?” Terri’s touch on my arm jolted me back to reality. I hadn’t even realized how far my thoughts had drifted. “You seem…” She studied me, her brows drawing together. “Angry? Sad? I’m trying to figure it out. Maybe… jealous?”
My head snapped up. “What?” I barked, taking a step back.
Her eyes widened slightly, and she winced. “Sorry. Sometimes I speak without thinking.”
I exhaled through my nose, forcing myself to steady my expression. “Why do you think I feel that?”
She hesitated, glancing down at her hands. “I don’t know. I just… sense it.”
Sense it? A muscle in my jaw ticked. “What does that mean?”
“Never mind.” She let out a nervous laugh. “Forget I said anything. I’m obviously just being crazy.”
Crazy? No.
Because if I was honest with myself, she was right.
