ALEXANDER
I held her gaze for a moment after I smiled, letting everything she had said settle properly this time instead of reacting to it too quickly.
She meant it.
That was the part that stayed with me.
Not just the words—but the way she said them. The steadiness. The decision behind it. She wasn’t running from it. She wasn’t denying it either.
She was… choosing not to let it bother her.
And I wasn’t sure if that made me feel better or worse.
My hand moved from where it rested at her waist, sliding up slowly until my fingers brushed lightly against her arm—a small touch. I didn’t want to pull her out of whatever balance she had managed to find tonight.
But I also wasn’t going to pretend I was completely okay with it.
“Well, whatever the case may be… you don’t have to figure it o
