Liv’s POV

I stepped inside the apartment, the sound of the door closing behind me making me flinch slightly, like I was sneaking in after curfew.

But it was just me and my late return. I didn’t need to feel guilty. I didn’t have a reason to, but the truth was, I couldn’t shake off the weird, tingling sensation that had been following me all evening.

I had spent the ride home replaying every second of that strange exchange with Kaelon, wondering if I had imagined the tension or if I was simply overthinking things—something I did a lot.

As I stepped further into the apartment, I heard voices from...