Archie’s POV
"Oh, no—we're not together," I blurted out, the words bursting from my mouth far too quickly, far too loudly. "He's... he's only the babysitter."
The elderly woman’s warm smile faltered slightly. "Oh. I see. My apologies," she murmured, offering a polite, embarrassed nod before pushing her stroller quickly down the boardwalk.
A thick, suffocating silence dropped over our table like an iron curtain.
I sat stiffly in my chair, my heart thumping against my ribs. Beside me, Lincoln slowly set his iced tea glass back onto the table. The easy, bright smile he had been wearing just moments ago was entirely gone. He let out a short, quiet laugh—a dry, humorless sound—and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Only the babysitter," Lincoln echoed softly under his breath. He shook his head,
