of his drink without saying a wor

dn't spe

ut heavy, the way Maddox stared wasn't frie

mething clever to say, but the words died in his throat. He g

him go. His focus

it again," h

down with quiet pre

e like you want t

ome too cl

"You really don't he

d to him fully. "I'm

his breath, half amu

t like I bel

t answer. No

use of what Maddox said-but because of what he didn't. "I don'

I don't k

else beneath it. Not anger. Not sarcasm. Just a strange, s

ged, too long to

ssing his fingertips against the rim of hi

ore than

Maddox was already scanning the ro

rom nearby-one of the event hosts calli

adjusted his sle

d once, step

of his drink without saying a wor

iced, he

o twitch in his jaw. Just that look-the kind that didn't scr

r the weight of it, his practiced ch

te before stepping back, blending into the crowd

. His fingers played with the stem

," he said after a mom

glass down gent

g at people like they've commi

close," Maddox sai

uiet breath that

usly, M

ser

I'm not allowed t

blink. "I di

ou mea

dy, unbothered, like he hadn't just clai

hing him. "You say things l

d. "I just don't

quite reach his eyes. "You

owing just slightly. "But that doesn't mea

ng himself away. This wasn't the first time Maddox had said something that s

ght," he said, softer t

d an eyebrow

I'll break if someone

st didn't like the w

ith a teasing smirk. "You gonna fi

they try that again, mayb

s fingers stilled on his glass. His chest burned with a

tly as one of the event hosts stepped up to the platform, c

ked. The m

, adjusting it with slo

a small nod.

oward the stage, the crowd

his eyes flicked up once-watc

ddox muttered, buttoning his

ways did, shoulders aligned, steps in sync. The cameras flashed the momen

Soren's waist. Soren's smile was flawless, head tilted at just the right angle.

oren rolled his eyes. "Why do the

nd dropped from Soren's back

ropes lifted silently as if even security knew better than to speak. The lo

sing one leg over the other. Maddox s

phone out. "Let me guess-you're going

hing

Except you froze a man

to people a

at people for c

plimenting. He

g through his notificati

m n

ourse

nt. Soren took it with a nod, letting silence hang. The mu

His phone buzzed once in

ca," Soren said, w

N

any man who look

like inde

glass thoughtfully. "You ca

usuall

ame, ligh

at the door jus

oth and smiling like

aid to Soren. "I thou

back. "Just

ering to acknowledge Maddox. "You left before I

his glass down and stood st

e said

"I wasn't tal

glanced between the

smile t