"–and you weren't there, Rhys. That's the point."
"I was at practice."
"You're always at practice. And Caleb is always exactly where I am, saying exactly the right thing at exactly the right time, and I'm standing there being defended by the person who destroyed me because the person I'm actually with couldn't be bothered to show up."
His jaw tightened. He was leaning against the kitchen counter, arms crossed, doing that thing where his whole body went still and controlled while his eyes gave away everything. We'd been going back and forth for ten minutes and the apartment felt smaller with every sentence.
"I don't need to perform for people."
"It's not performing. It's showing up. There's a difference."
"Caleb showing up isn't kindness, Naomi. It's strategy. He defended you because
