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“I don’t know. He wouldn’t explain it tonight, and I finally listened when he asked me to stop.”

Some of the tension left Aura’s posture. “Good.”

The approval irritated me, but she wasn’t wrong. “I’m not here to make either of you tell me what Ryan refused to discuss. He said he’ll talk to me later. Whatever happened to him is his to tell, and I’m going to wait until he’s ready.”

“What are you asking us?” Bliss said.

“I’m asking if he’s okay.”

Her expression softened. “Cee.”

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Look at me like you already know the answer is going to hurt.”

Bliss pressed her lips together.

I looked between them. “Is Ryan happy in Milwaukee?”

“Yes,” Aura answered. “He loves the city, and the Inferno has been good for him.”

“Is something wrong with hockey?”

“No. He’s doing incredible.”

“Is there a problem with his contract?”

Aura’s eyes moved toward Bliss. The motion was small enough that I might have missed it fifteen months ago. Current Charm saw it immediately.

“What was that?”

“What was what?” Aura asked.

“You looked at Bliss.”

“I did not.”

“You absolutely did.”

Bliss stepped closer. “Ryan is fine. He has a great contract, the Inferno values him, and he’s built a life in Milwaukee.”

“That wasn’t the question.”

“You asked if there was a problem with his contract.”

“And neither of you said no.”

“There isn’t a problem now,” Aura said.

The final word landed harder than everything before it. “Now?”

Aura’s jaw tightened.

I looked at Bliss. “Was there a problem before?”

“This isn’t our story to tell.”