The moment shattered.
She stood a few feet away, posture exact, gaze fixed.
She saw it.
I stepped back immediately, then skated over to her without hesitation. By the time I reached the boards, my breathing was steady again.
Or close enough.
Mila stood near the entrance with her bag slung over one shoulder, watching me approach.
I knew that look. I had known it for years.
“What just happened between you and Dean Foster?”
I hated how quickly I reacted to hearing his name.
I glanced back. Dean remained where I had left him.
“Nothing.”
I turned back to her. Her expression didn’t change.
“Luka.”
I exhaled. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“The truth would be a good start.”
I laughed under my breath, a short, humorless sound. “That would require me understanding it first.”
“Is he worth this much confusion?”
The question caught me completely off guard because I already knew the answer.
She held my gaze for a moment, then sighed.
“Come with me. We cannot discuss this here.”
The quiet certainty in her voice unsettled me.
She turned and headed toward the corridor, and I followed.
Refusing would only have made things worse.
Dean
I sawthe change the instant Mila called his name.
Whatever had been happening between us vanished behind the composure he wore everywhere else. By the time he reached the boards, there was no trace of it left for anyone who hadn’t been standing right in front of him.
Mila said something as he approached. He listened without interrupting, his attention fixed entirely on her now. Then she turned and headed toward the exit. Luka followed.
I stayed where I was, watching until they disappeared through the doors.
After a moment I pushed out a breath and scrubbed a hand across the back of my neck.
Trying to move on would have been smart.
