The voice was smooth, seasoned.A silver-haired man approached, confidence etched into his posture.
Creed turned just enough to acknowledge him.“John.”
“Thank you for coming.”
“Of course,” Creed replied as they shook hands.“It’s an important cause.”
They exchanged pleasantries, the kind that carried meaning beneath civility.When John’s gaze moved to me, it was curious but careful.
“And who is this?”
“Peyton,” Creed said.“She’s with me.”
The words were simple.Chosen.
They defined placement without possession or distance.
I offered a polite greeting and let the conversation move on.
Creed didn’t acknowledge the way his words had left something unsettled between us.Instead, his hand remained a steady weight against the small of my back, guiding me further into the crowd.
It wasn’t until we reached the quieter edge of the ballroom—where the crush of people thinned, where shadows softened the brilliance—that he finally stopped.
When his hand left my back, the absence registered, but I didn’t reach for it.
Creed turned to face me fully, the space between us charged but controlled.
“Relax,” he said quietly.“You look exactly as you should.”
The words weren’t praise.They were assessment.
I met his gaze.“Why am I here, Creed?”
His eyes darkened with consideration.
“To see whether you can hold yourself in my world,” he said.
“I’ve been in your world before,” I reminded him.
“Without disappearing.And without challenging me in front of people who don’t matter.”
There it was.
The test, finally named.
I forced myself to keep my expression neutral, my smile still carefully plastered in place for the watching eyes around us.“And am I doing that?”I asked.
“Not yet,” he said.“But you haven’t failed.”
The distinction mattered.
The music shifted, a haunting melody swelling from the orchestra, weaving through the gilded air of the ballroom.Couples drifted onto the dance floor, the lights dimming slightly, casting the room in a golden glow.
My heart stuttered when Creed extended his hand.
“Dance with me.”
The invitation carried expectation, balanced carefully with choice.
