My chest tightened instantly, but I kept moving, forcing my expression into something polite and controlled.
The word "avoiding" echoed faintly in my mind, sharp and unwelcome, but I refused to let it surface.
"Where's Aaron?" I asked instead, already stepping past her, my eyes scanning the space as though he might appear if I looked hard enough.
"He isn't here, Mrs… Alyssa, I suppose?" she replied lightly.
I didn't answer. I just looked at her slowly, deliberately, from head to toe, taking her in the same way she had once studied me.
"Tell him I came over," I said flatly after a pause. Then, my gaze narrowed slightly. "And who are you?"
"A friend," she said simply.
The word felt wrong immediately.
"A friend?" I repeated, my tone sharper now, holding her in place with my stare.
But she didn't flinch. If anything, that faint, knowing smile deepened slightly, as though she was enjoying my reaction more than she should have been.
