“I’m fine.”
“You’re trembling.”
“I… I’m not..."
He leans closer.
“Ruby.”
Everything in me tightens.
Electric.
Heat skates up my spine.
And then, a soft knock on the door.
We both freeze.
The universe hates me.
The door opens.
EVAN steps inside.
His eyes flick between us.
Ruby: pink, breathless, sitting too close.
Jaxon: relaxed, watching me too carefully.
Evan’s jaw tightens.
“Sorry,” he says, stiff.
“Didn’t know you were… in a meeting.”
He lingers. Too long.
Jaxon’s eyes sharpen.
Possessive curiosity. A warning underneath.
“This is a private session,” Jaxon says calmly. “We’ll talk later.”
Evan nods, slow. Unhappy. Suspicious.
He leaves.
The door closes.
Silence.
Then Jaxon says, soft, deliberate:
“Ruby. Look at me.”
I do.
