Justin – POV
"Don't tell me my girlfriend is planning to bolt on her boyfriend?"
I said it just as she swung the strap of her bag over her shoulder, right when she thought she could make a clean escape. My voice was smooth, casual—like a blade wrapped in silk.
Her steps faltered.
She froze for half a heartbeat before turning slowly, that perfect mask slipping back on like it never left. Her lips curved into a smile, practiced, polished… fake.
But her eyes gave her away.
Wide. Alert. Caught.
"I wasn't—just…" she started, trailing off like her brain hadn't caught up with the panic in her chest. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the nervous tic I knew like the back of my hand. "I didn't want to disturb your… focus."
"My focus?" I scoffed, leaning back in my chair, arms folding across my chest. "Sweetheart, I haven't heard a damn word since you walked in."
She blinked.
