CARMEN
His eyes changed then. Not a lot, but just enough for me to notice. A flicker, quick as lightning, of something that made my stomach tighten.
“Do I?”
I couldn’t tell if he was joking. There was no mockery in his voice. Only curiosity.
I swallowed. “It’s stupid, but I made a friend last night, and you feel similar to him.”
“Is that so?”
I stared at him, confused, unsure what he wanted. He didn’t ask for details. Arthur would have forced them from me, demanding every word.
Instead, Tim smiled, the corners of his mouth lifting just slightly. That subtle movement drew my attention, creating that strange pull again—magnetic, not threatening or manipulative. It was the kind of smile that made me want to step closer, not farther away.
“And yet,” he said, “you’re here touching me an
