Adrian did not sit, and he did not even try. His eyes swept over my face once, one long, clinical drag of a gaze that made my skin prickle, before flicking to the cold mug, the untouched glass of water, the way I leaned against the booth as if my bones had forgotten how to hold me upright. Something in him snapped so quietly it made no sound, yet I felt it as clearly as if the air had shifted temperature. The space around us tightened.
He reached into his coat, pulled out his wallet, and dropped a handful of bills onto the table, far too many for a cup of tea and far too many for anything this café could offer. The money landed with a muted thud that made the barista glance up and then quickly look away. The sound twisted in my stomach because it felt final, as if something had already en
