I froze in my tracks, Mia's words echoing in my mind like a cruel taunt. Slowly, I turned back to face her, keeping my expression cool and my gaze steady.
“Mia,” I said, my voice deceptively calm, “Cross isn’t a child anymore. He doesn’t need someone to take care of him.”
Mia tilted her head, that saccharine smile of hers never wavering, but her eyes narrowed slightly.
“Oh, I know that,” she replied, her tone dripping with feigned innocence.
“But sometimes even adults need someone to... look out for them, don’t you think?”
I felt my lips twitch into a tight smile. “Maybe,” I conceded.
“But don’t confuse looking out for someone with hovering over them like they can’t handle themselves. Cross has been through enough to stand on his own two feet.”
Mia blinked at me, her mask of swee
