KAELON’S POV I glanced at Liv from the corner of my eye as I drove us away from the cafe, my hand tight around the steering wheel. She sat quietly in the passenger seat, staring out the window like I wasn't even there. Not a word. Not even a damn "thank you" for stepping in back there. I saved her from a scene that could have gotten a hell of a lot worse. Was she alright? I wanted to ask, but I held back for a beat, grinding my teeth. She needed space. Maybe. But after another minute of silence, I couldn’t take it anymore. "Are you alright?" I asked, my voice rougher than I'd intended. "Yeah," she said softly, without turning to look at me. Yeah? Just yeah? My jaw ticked. f**k it. I yanked the steering wheel sharply to the right, cutting across two lanes and ignoring the honks bl

