⠀⠀𝗚𝗔𝗥𝗕𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡 a shimmering golden dress that shone in the hotel room like a thousand tiny suns, she twirled alone; her bare feet whispering over the plush carpet —— each spin a 𝘯𝘰𝘵-𝘴𝘰-𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘵𝘭𝘦 rebellion against the world outside her door.
» take a little, see who wavers first. ( And she’s never been one to stand 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭.)
“ . . . Besides—if I wanted to get under your skin, “ Her fingers brush over the lapels of his jacket, a fleeting, featherlight touch. Then gone. “ I’d already be there. “
⠀⠀⠀𝗗𝗔𝗜𝗦𝗬 𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗦. A slow, syrupy thing, rich with something almost affectionate—if affection could be barbed, if it could slice straight through bone. She watches him the way a cat watches a mouse that already knows it’s lost—drawing it out, relishing »
» “ Hate to break it to you, honey, but not 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 is about 𝘺𝘰𝘶. “
But she steps closer anyway. Because, well. That’s the game, isn’t it? Toe the line, lean in just enough to blur it; it’s all part of the rhythm—give a little, »
» wavers—just a fraction, just 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩. She sighs again, this time slower, like she’s choking on the words before she spits them out.
“ . . . You don’t have to go. Unless you want to. “
⠀⠀⠀𝙎𝙃𝙀 𝙀𝙓𝙃𝘼𝙇𝙀𝙎 𝙎𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙋𝙇𝙔, dragging a hand through her hair, fingers catching at the tangles like she could rip the frustration straight from her skull. She’s still gripping the book, spine digging into her palm. »
» “ Privacy’s overrated. “
Her gaze flicks to Graham, sharp at first, almost daring him to argue, to say something that will justify the coil of tension winding tighter in her ribs. But he just stands there, unreadable, and something in her expression »