The bell over the door rang like a death knell. The air inside smelled of coffee, fresh pastries, and old wooden floors — a normality that now seemed alien, almost hostile. And he. George. He was sitting there by the window, bathed in the morning light that made him almost beautiful. Almost human.
His smile was perfect. White teeth, relaxed posture, friendly nod. But that's not what I saw. I saw his eyes, cold and quick, scan us in a split second. They settled on my dress. On my unkempt hair. On Travis's hand, holding mine. There was a flicker in his eyes, not of expectation, but of calculation. The wrong picture.
Travis let go of my hand to help me take off my coat. His fingers brushed my neck, adjusting my collar. The touch was light, businesslike, but there was a rush of warmth where
