I closed the book in front of me and looked at her carefully. My body felt tense. "What do you want to talk about, Elara?"
She leaned forward a little and smiled wider. Her fingers stayed relaxed on the table, but I noticed how tightly she held them together. "About Calder, and about you. I have been worried about you lately, Selene. You have been acting so different. Rejecting him so strongly in public. Kissing Kael right in front of everyone. It is not like the girl I used to know."
I kept my face calm and looked straight at her. "The old me is gone. I am making better choices for myself now."
Elara gave a small, sad smile. She reached across the table and touched my hand lightly with her fingers. "But Calder cares about you. He really does. He talks about you all the time when we are
