Vivienne stepped toward Darius. “Darius, may we speak before I go?”
There it was again.
The soft reach.
The little tremor.
The expectation that his body would answer before his mind caught up.
Darius turned toward her.
I watched him.
So did everyone else.
His jaw worked once.
Then he said, “Not tonight.”
Vivienne froze.
For the first time since entering, she looked genuinely surprised.
Good.
Growth could begin with humiliation.
Or at least inconvenience.
A guard took her luggage. Another opened the front door.
Vivienne looked at me one last time.
I smiled.
“Rest well, Miss LeCrox. Travel can be humbling.”
Her nostrils flared.
Then she turned and walked out.
The jasmine went with her.
Mostly.
When the door closed, no one moved.
Then Danica whispered, “I think I just
