“This breakfast... is it just about the past?” Dominic asked, his voice flatter than he intended.

Clara shrugged, seeming unaffected. “Maybe. Maybe it’s more than that. Sometimes the past can offer answers for what’s happening now.”

Dominic sensed something unsaid behind Clara’s words, but he didn’t want to press her just yet. He sipped his coffee, letting the bitterness settle on his tongue as he mulled over what was really happening between them.

Clara smiled faintly, playing with the edge of her coffee cup. “You’re still the same as before,” she said softly. “The way you handle things, your reactions. I can still guess what’s on your mind.”

Dominic set...