Naomi’s Pov

I didn’t know it was going to happen that day.

If I had, I might’ve braced for it. Or talked myself out of it. Or tried to control how it landed. But the truth is, the moment only worked because it wasn’t planned.

Because it came from pressure and choice colliding at the same time.

We were already tired when we walked into the hall.

Not physically. Emotionally. The kind of tiredness that settles in your bones when you’ve been watched too closely for too long. The room was full without being crowded. People spaced just far enough apart to pretend this wasn’t a performance.

Cameras at the...