I stared into those deep, unreadable eyes. My voice came out raw. "Are you threatening me?"
"That depends on what you decide."
He dropped the words like stones and walked away.
Watching his retreating figure, I felt something sharp lodge behind my eyes.
Ten years. I hated that I could decode every unspoken meaning in his words. I hated even more that he'd always known exactly which strings to pull.
By the time I appeared in the lobby wearing the mascot costume, the birthday party was in full swing.
Everything that had just happened might as well have been a minor interruption. No one cared.
Alexis had her hand on Bertram's shoulder, rising on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek.
The pain of watching it ground my bones to dust like a millstone. All I could do was gulp down the thin air inside the costume, fighting to stay calm.
Every breath felt like swallowing a thousand razor blades.
They weren't even pretending anymore.
"Hey, what are you standing there for? Go deliver the rings!" Someone beside me jabbed their elbow into my side.
Rings?