A quiet, almost involuntary gasp escaped my lips as I stared, dazed, at Reggie. My mouth was slightly open, words lost somewhere in my throat. "Huh..." It wasn’t that I hadn’t heard him, it was impossible not to. But his words still felt like a surreal echo in my mind, something so unexpected that my brain struggled to process it, almost as if I were caught in the fog of a half-formed dream.
Reggie didn’t say anything more. He held my gaze, his eyes steady, and then took a slow, deliberate breath before looking away. The subtle, detached way he turned his head left me feeling exposed and vulnerable. I was no longer the focus of his attention, but that didn’t mean I was forgotten. His silence was heavier than any words he could have spoken. Without realizing it, I was already following him
