"What happened? You aren't answering," Elizabeth said, her voice laced with curiosity, her eyes narrowing as she leaned closer, her naked shoulder brushing mine. She took a drag of her cigarette, exhaling a thin stream of smoke that curled toward the ceiling, her gaze locked on me, noticing my silence, my zoned-out stare.
I blinked, shaking my head, my cheeks flushing as I snapped back to the moment. "Ahh—yeah… sorry, I got zoned out," I said, my voice low, a nervous laugh escaping as I ran a hand through my hair, the leather seat creaking under me. Aeri's face—her gentle rejection, her sad eyes this morning—had pulled me under, the memory sharp and heavy.
