Quin eyes gleamed. “See, that’s the thing. Even this—Prom—somehow becomes about your feelings for Riya. But are you really thinking about what she wants? Or do you plan to keep making public choices that pin unwanted attention on her?”
Mel bristled. “Quin—”
“What are you getting at?” Kian fists curled.
“Nothing, nothing!” Quin blinked innocently. “I just think that when someone’s already under a lot of stress, even well-intended attention can feel like... pressure. And it’d be a shame if someone didn’t keep that in mind simply because they think the world’s their stage.”
“You don’t know anything about our relationship,” said Kian, voice low.
Quin’s catlike smile sharpened. “Whatrelationship? Looks pretty one-sided to me. One would almost think you’re under a love spell.”
Riya twitched. Their words hit a little too close to home.
But Kian only smiled back, brittle. “Are you asking for a fight?”
“Ah, see, now you’re proving my point.”
“Wait—” Riya started, but her eyes stung. She rubbed at the dust biting behind her glasses.
Kian turned, alarmed. “Are you—are you crying?”
“No,” said Riya. “It’s just dust—”
He exhaled hard.
And in one sharp motion, he stepped over the velvet rope and yanked one of the stanchion poles from the floor.
Gasps rippled from the gallery.
“I don’t care if I look ridiculous to any of you,” he said, louder now. “None of that matters.” He turned toward Quin, gripping the pole like a weapon. His eyes flickered gold. “I’d fightanyoneif that’s what it takes to prove how much I care.”
“Whoa, easy.” Quin stepped back, hands raised. “Let’s not get carried away. How about we all take some nice meditative breaths andput the pole down?”
“Then you should have kept your mouth shut,” said Kian, deadly calm.
“Excuse me!” called the nearby security guard. “Put that down or you’ll be removed!”
Riya’s heart thundered against her ribs.
Fear rose, not just for him.Ofhim. And of the terrifying future he was hurtling toward.
“Enough!”Her voice cracked like a whip.
The group fell silent. Even the security guard paused mid-step.
“I asked you to control yourself, Kian,” Riya said. “It was theonething I asked, again and again. Have you ever stopped to think that maybe Quin is right? That every time you go off the deep end, it affects me, too?”
For a moment, he just looked at her, eyes blank.
Then Kian buckled, his shoulders sagging like the fight had drained from his bones.
“But I—I didn’t start it,” he whispered. “I wasn’t the one—Riya, you saw it. I tried. I tried not to fight. But theyalwayspush.”
Riya stared at him, ribs cinching. “Kian...?”
He lifted his head. Eyes red-rimmed, disoriented. “Please don’t look at me like everyone else,” he whispered.“Please.”
A knot of guilt coiled painfully in her chest. Because shehadlooked at him that way. Because she wasn’t sure, even now, if she’d fully stopped.
