“I’m not good at… that,” I gestured vaguely. “Feelings.”
A faint exhale from him.
Almost a laugh again.
“Yeah,” he said. “I noticed.”
That should’ve been a dig.
It wasn’t said like one.
It was… observation.
Same category I used.
Same problem.
A student walked past us, brushing Mason’s shoulder accidentally.
He didn’t react.
But I noticed he moved slightly closer to me after.
Not conscious.
Just instinct.
That did something irritating to my focus.
I stepped back first.
Bad decision.
Instantly, the space between us felt louder.
Mason watched it happen.
Of course he did.
“Rowan,” he said.
I looked up.
He hesitated.
Actually hesitated.
Then:
“You still coming to practice tomorrow?”
It wasn’t casual.
Not really.
I shrugged. “If I have time.”
That was a lie.
