Caspian pushed himself off the workbench and walked toward the door. "The coffee is just caffeine," he said over his shoulder. "The advice is the real gift." The door closed behind him. Theon sat in the silence, his father's words echoing in his ears. "You don't have to live by morals all the time."

"If another person is hesitating… beat them to it."

He looked at the clock. Five-thirty in the morning. His jaw tightened. ‘Is that really the problem?’

‘What do I actually feel for her?’

The thought sat heavy in his chest, and he exhaled and stood, heading back to his room. His hand paused on the door....