I feel it immediately. That quiet shift in my chest. The reminder that this moment doesn’t exist in a vacuum.
“Let it ring out,” I murmur, lowering my voice like that might make a difference.
She tilts her head slightly, eyes flicking to the screen. “It could be important.”
We both know that even after today, she’s not ready to pick me. It’s not even a discussion when Za is involved.
I dip my forehead to hers, close enough that my breath brushes her mouth. “Five more minutes. Please.”
The phone keeps buzzing.
She exhales and I know before she says anything that the moment’s already gone.
“It’s time,” she says quietly. “I’m sorry but I gotta go.”
That’s it, then.
I shift back, giving her space without being asked.
She sits up, and the energy between us changes. There’s more to it than just that, and we both know it, but keep it tucked away as she finishes getting dressed.
After a second, she looks at me.
“Do you still wanna come tonight?”
I shake my head once. “I think you and Za should spend some time together.”
She watches me closely, noticing the slight bitterness in my tone. “You sure?”
“Yeah,” I say. “Tonight’s about you. And she’s your person. I don’t need to be in the middle of it.”
She flinches, not expecting my straightness, nods thoughtfully. I can tell she understands even if part of her wishes the answer were different.
“Thanks… for understanding.”
twenty
charge it.
Frankie.
?“And thewinner for Best Art Direction goes to?—”
I already know.
I still hold my breath anyway.
“—Big Fish Studios!”
Applause rolls through the room. I clap along with everyone else, a smile settling onto my face out of habit more than feeling. My hands move on autopilot.
Not us.
Tasha lets out a quiet hum beside me.
“Alright,” she says, leaning in. “Good for them.”
“Yeah,” I reply. “Good for them.”
