Violet

I shook my head so fast it almost made me dizzy. “W-worried? It’s not like that,” I blurted out, dropping his hand as if it had burned me.

What kind of insane thought was that? Worried about him?

“I was just… concerned,” I continued quickly, trying to steady my voice. “Because you helped me, that’s all. It would be strange if I didn’t care after everything.”

For a moment, he just stared at me like he was watching every flicker of expression I made. My cheeks were already heating under his scrutiny, and I swore he could hear my heartbeat. My suspicion turned into certainty when his eyes dropped...