“How?” he asks again.
I feel the difference now.
Not pressure.
Partnership.
“He’s expecting distance,” I say. “Isolation. Reduced communication. Emotional detachment.”
A small pause.
“That’s how he gets control.”
The room goes still.
Because they all understand what that means.
I swallow once.
Then say it anyway.
“He almost got it.”
Silence.
No one speaks.
No one fills it.
And for the first time—
That silence doesn’t feel like something I need to hide inside.
It feels like something I can stand in.
Logan’s voice comes quieter this time.
“But he didn’t.”
I look at him.
Really look.
“No,” I say.
“He didn’t.”
Something settles between us.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Just—
Solid.
Boone clears his throat slightly. “So what’s the move?”
