It isn’t a question.
I nod. “It’s…exhilarating.”
Something softens in his expression, something nostalgic. “You always liked the ice.”
I swallow.
He shifts, and I feel the change before he speaks again. “You and Grayson seemed…friendly after.”
I freeze for half a second, just long enough to be noticeable, but he isn’t staring me down. He’s looking at the floor, like he’s choosing his words as carefully as I am.
“Yeah,” I say.
“How was that?” His voice is careful. “Don’t worry, he already left for class.”
I search for the truth I can say out loud without turning it into something bigger than I’m ready to carry. “Calming.”
Kai looks up at me then, brows knitting slightly. “Calming?”
I nod. “He’s really good at that.”
Kai exhales slowly, not angry, not even tense, but like he’s adjusting his internal map. “I’ve noticed you’ve been around him more.”
There’s no accusation in it. Just observation.
My chest tightens anyway. “We’ve talked,” I say, and I make myself stop there instead of minimizing. I’m tired of minimizing.
Kai watches me closely now, not like he’s waiting for a confession but like he’s trying to figure out how to stand beside this without breaking it.
“He’s not a bad guy,” Kai says finally.
It hits wrong and right at the same time. I look at him, surprised.
“That’s not the same as saying you’re okay with it,” I say quietly.
Kai’s jaw tightens, then relaxes again. “I don’t have to love it.” A pause. “But I can…not be an ass about it.”
It’s the most Kai version of maturity he can offer.
“I’m trying,” he adds, his voice rougher, “to not treat you like you’re about to disappear.”
My throat tightens. I hadn’t realized how much I needed to hear that until he said it.
“I know,” I whisper.
Kai nods once. “Just—if anything ever feels wrong, you tell me. I don’t think he will, but if he ever starts making you feel like…”
I meet his gaze. “I will.”
That part is true.
He pushes off the counter and grabs his keys. “Film in an hour.”
“I’ll head back to campus,” I tell him.
He pauses near the door, glancing at me again like he can’t help it. “You’re doing really good, Harlow. I’m proud of you, in case you didn’t know.”
A smile slips out before I can stop it. Small, real, unguarded. “Thanks, Kai,” I say. “I think so too.”
