(Cole)
She stayed where she was after saying it.
Most people would’ve heard the word and moved on from it. I didn’t. The difference between the first alright and the second one was obvious if you were paying attention properly. The first came from exhaustion. The second came from her finally stopping herself from backing away from what belonged to her.
I watched her quietly across the desk.
Lena always held herself together too carefully when things got heavy. Most people would probably miss it because she stayed composed even when she was struggling. I didn’t miss it.
I closed the file in front of me and pushed it aside slightly.
“You eaten today?” I asked.
Her eyes lifted toward mine almost immediately.
“That’s random.”
“That wasn’t an answer.”
She leaned back slightly in the c
