ETHAN’s POV

Daniel let the silence breathe again before speaking. “You came in late yesterday.”

My chest tightened. “Yeah.”

His eyes narrowed. I didn’t need to look up to know it. “And then?”

“And then I went to bed,” I lied too quickly.

The corner of his mouth curved in something that wasn’t quite a smile. More like a weapon. He leaned forward, his forearms braced against the table, the veins in his hands stark against his skin.

“Is that so?”

The air between us tightened, snapping like a wire drawn too taut.

I swallowed, forcing my gaze up for the first time. His eyes were on me, sharp, unreadable....